A little goes a long way
by Angelicatt
Summary: Skye's Reinventing the Classics Challenge. A frustrated Kagome wanders off and finds an injured and belligerent Sesshoumaru. She wants to help him but he is too stubborn to allow himself to. Will his pride ever let him see that there is more to life?
1. Chapter 1: In need

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the mere sparks of imagination. Characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Media et al. Original story idea, The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop._

A/N: Originally meant as an entry for Priestess Skye's Reinventing The Classics Challenge but decided to use it as a test fic intead. Hope you enjoy!

Kagome, the miko-from-the-future had gotten separated from her group yet again. It was not in the heat of battle with some rogue youkai or with any of Naraku's minions. Oh no nothing so intense or life threatening. The reason for her solitude could be answered in one word: INUYASHA.

The impossible hanyou had frayed her last nerve, arguing about her inefficiencies, clumsiness and general lack of skill further emphasizing that she was _never _going to be good a miko as his dearly beloved and departed, Kikyou. All of this was brought on because she had tripped on a tree root and had accidentally almost pierced him with the arrow she was aiming at the shard-carrying bat youkai that was currently threatening the group. She didn't hit him and in fact the trajectory of the misfired projectile had distracted the youkai enough for Sango to take him out with a well placed throw of her hiraikotsu. Two hours of listening to his angry barbs and she was secretly wishing that the arrow did impale him.

After all this time, three years to be precise, he still berated her at every turn; usually it was totally unwarranted – just his never ending need to vent his frustrations and pain. If he had ever stopped and really looked at the now, eighteen year old priestess he would have seen just how much she had changed. Her powers had grown; her control stronger and archery skills as accurate as if she were one of Robin Hood's Merry Men.

But merry she was not. Confused, hurt, depressed and hopelessly lost would describe the condition that she found herself in after walking away from the screaming hanyou. They had crossed over into the Western Lands earlier in the day and InuYasha had been on alert for the inevitable appearance of his half brother, the daiyoukai of these lands, Sesshoumaru. Even with the truce the inu had made, tensions remained very high whenever they came into contact with each other and therefore the shard-seeking group usually avoided the West, however the bat youkai had thought it quite a game to have them track and follow it for two days before finally attacking – at least they gotten three shards in the process.

Somehow the teen had managed to distance herself from everyone while on her thought provoking walk. The day had gone by and the sun had almost disappeared over the horizon, leaving a cool orange glow highlighting the wooded path she was currently on. Trial by fire had taught Kagome to never leave the protection of the camp and her friends without her bow, arrows and her trusty yellow backpack. She was in no mood to return to the continued abuse that would surely greet her if she were to go back to the hanyou's side – maybe a night away from him would allow her a clearer perspective and possibly cause him to question his attitude towards her of late…maybe he would even be worried about her. _'Yeah right' _she quietly thought. Her schoolgirl crush on InuYasha had withered away with Kikyou's rebirth and second demise at the hands of Naraku. A love that lasted through two deaths was not something that could be easily rivaled. It took all of her attention as it was to just keep up with her time-traveling dual life and the ongoing battles with the spider hanyou – unrequited love just did not have a place on her list of life priorities.

Not even a mile away from the frustrated miko, ensconced in a small cave lay the Inu daiyoukai. He had been on patrol of the Northern border of his lands earlier that very same day when he had run across a band of rogue monks and mikos. Never one to be afraid of any human, he ordered them to depart from within his boundaries only to be subjected to a surprise attack of a reishi-filled arrow from behind which left him unguarded and open to their ensuing physical assault. Without remorse he dispatched them and continued to set out on his patrol; however the spiritual resonance of the arrow shaft that remained lodged between his shoulder blades, just out of his only arm's reach had some how left his body unable to heal from what he thought were nothing more than minor wounds. It was slowly sapping all his youki energy and he knew he needed to get back to his citadel as quickly as possible or risk collapsing out in the open. The Lord was a very proud dog and appearing weak in anyone's eyes was a huge cause of malcontent within his demon soul. He only made it three-quarters of the way there before he was forced to seek shelter and seclusion in the face of his sapping strength. _'Maybe some rest before I set off again will help'_ he idly thought as he half crawled into a shallow cave and sat down, leaning forward as to not accidentally press against the arrow that still protruded from his back. He quickly fell into a restless, feverish sleep, whimpering from the pain of the semi-purification.

She was never afraid of the darkness and tonight there was a crescent-shaped moon to guide her. It reminded her of the cold, Inu Lord which quickly shocked her into awareness that she had been traipsing through his lands for nearly twenty-four hours and had not even picked up on his aura. _'He probably is away doing something diplomatic or whatever Lords do'_ she rationalized in her head. A cold wind blew through the trail which caused her to shiver uncontrollably and she quickly decided that it was probably time to bunk down for the night. Walking for another thirty minutes or so, she saw the shadow of a cave against the hillside and briskly headed for it but not without picking up some kindling and dried branches along the way.

The closer she got to the cave opening, the more she felt that she wasn't alone but she didn't feel any malice or greed, it felt more like a lancing pain. Shaking it off as her own body's tiredness; she all but fainted at the sight of Sesshoumaru, head pitched forward on his bent knees looking completely passed out. Her arms flew up to cover the scream that was begging to come out of her mouth, all the firewood thrown across the ground.

"Sesshoumaru-sama" she whispered, her throat suddenly very parched. "Sesshoumaru-sama, are you ok?" she called out a little louder, still not stepping any closer to the demon, in fear of him lashing out at her.

For a couple of minutes there was no response but then a small whimper was heard. _'I have never seen him like this before. I always thought he was invincible'_ she mused, suddenly coming to the realization that the painful aura that she had been feeling earlier was actually being emitted from the daiyoukai on the ground in front of her. Her naturally generous heart kicked in and she hastily rushed to his side. He looked sickly and there were visible trails of sweat running down his brow. Shifting to the side so she could see him better with the scant moonlight, she picked up the smell of his still-flowing blood and evidence of it could be traced to large gash on his left shoulder from his collarbone arcing backwards, splatter visible on his mokomoko. It was when she looked over the cascade of his long, silver hair that she saw the arrow sticking out, glaring at her. _'Oh kami, he's been attacked by a miko'_ she almost shouted out loud, catching herself at the last minute when she realized that she was mere inches from his pointy ears. Worry coursed through her body at the thought of him battling her own kind – who was to blame, who was at fault. It didn't matter right then. All she knew that she had to remove the arrow from his body or he would be in grave danger.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, can you hear me?" she questioned softly as she kneeled next to him. She was afraid of her proximity to him knowing how much he detested humans and especially after just being attacked by them. A small grunt was her response and then the demon lord lifted his head and turned to face her.

He couldn't focus his eyes on whatever or whoever was making the noise, even his youkai could not register what kind of being that was so close to his person. His head felt like it was splitting in two and the pain from his back was throbbing so madly that it made him nauseous. Sesshoumaru could not remember a time in his thousand plus years on this earth where he had felt so vulnerable; not even when his damned half-brother had cut off his left arm with the Tetsusaiga…it made him cringe and he uttered a low growl before finding his voice.

"Who are you? And what are you doing so close to this Sesshoumaru's person?" he grumbled out. Embarrassment engulfed him at the thought of another demon seeing him in this state.

Now Kagome was both confused and angry. She was trying to help him and he had growled at her but then he didn't know it was her which meant that he was more injured by the sacred arrow that she already thought. Now was not the time to argue with his gruff questioning, she needed to move swiftly and with more caution. Psyching up her inner calm and strength, she responded to him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, it's me, Kagome. You know, I travel with Inuyasha in search of the shards and Naraku…" She never got to finish her sentence when his arm shot out and grabbed her wrist, holding it roughly.

"MIKO", he growled, "Why are you here? Where are Inuyasha and your group? Begone from this place and leave this Sesshoumaru".

Her wrist hurt but she knew she needed to remain strong. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I am on my own, miles away from my group. I came across this cave in search of shelter for the night and I did not know you were in here. Please, you are hurt let me help you".

"This Sesshoumaru does not require aid from a mere human onna especially a miko. Even your feeble sight can see that it is one of your kind that has injured me but it will be taken care of on return to the Western Citadel." What was this onna thinking, he thought.

"No, it needs to be removed now", her voice rising out of indignation. "You will not make it back to your castle in your present condition. As long as it is in you, your youkai will be drained and you will continue to bleed out."

"Miko, watch your tone with this Sesshoumaru or you will be punished" yanking on her wrist while reprimanding her. "This Sesshoumaru should kill you where you stand in retribution for this heinous attack upon my person" he growled out, his eyes tinged in red. Even with his sense of smell diminished somewhat; he could feel her fear laced under her anxiety and agitation.

Under normal circumstances, the scent of fear was the most intoxicating motivation for a fight. A battle to prove his strength and power over those he deemed below him – which pretty much meant almost everyone, demon or human alike. But humans were weak and posed little to no threat to him, or so he thought before this incident. Perhaps his senses had become dull from the monotony of his life. In the last few years, the only times he got to flex his muscle (so to speak) were against the hanyou Naraku and his annoying underlings and against Inuyasha, which was never much a fight anyway. This thinking both upset and angered him as he sat there squeezing Kagome's arm while she whimpered silently.

"I know you do not like humans but I can not with good conscience leave you like this. You are my ally and even though it was another miko that did this to you for reasons unknown to me, I will not sit here and watch you suffer" she implored to him, tears of frustration and distress welling up in her eyes.

"Your concern is unwarranted. As for the reason for the attack, let this Sesshoumaru enlighten you by saying that it was unprovoked and they struck first and very cowardly at it by shooting from behind" he recalled the specifics that lead up to the skirmish and described the assailants to the small onna, all the while wondering why he felt the need to divulge so much information to her.

She was an ally but she was still just _**the**_ same human miko that travelled along with the half-breed. Why was she away from them and why was she so concerned with his wellbeing was beyond even his comprehension. Still if what she was saying was true then maybe her assistance would be preferable than allowing himself to venture out. He knew that she would never speak of this helplessness to anyone else or face his wrath. After three years, he trusted her honesty and loyalty and knew that it was in her nature to be kind and supportive.

Kagome could sense his aura draining as he struggled to keep his head up and eyes trained on her. His normally golden eyes were glazed over and clouded and his breathing was becoming increasingly ragged. There was little time left for any hesitation.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, please…please let me take the arrow out at least so your youkai healing can restart. Whatever dark magic they bewitched this arrow with is more powerful than any demon healer can deal with. Only a pure miko can remove it. I don't want you to die" she pleaded, tears streaming down her face as soft sobs carried over to his ears.

"Hn. Fine miko, remove it. But do not think for one minute that this Sesshoumaru is allowing you the privilege of being so close to his person because he feels sorry for your unwarranted tears of concern. Do it quickly. You are not to ever speak of this incident with anyone; especially the half-breed or you will forfeit the rest of your miserable existence. Are we clear on this?" he gritted out. Maybe the pain was making him go soft. That would not do at all.

"Of course Sesshoumaru-sama, this will remain between just the two of us" she chimed _'No one would believe me otherwise anyway'_.


	2. Chapter 2: Only for you

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the mere sparks of imagination. Characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Media et al. Original story idea, The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop._

A/N: This is only my 1st fic and while I would love reviews and feedback, I do appreciate everyone who favorites/alerts it. Many thanks go to Danyealle & Sugar0o for the mental push to write my own instead of just being a beta. **FYI: There are some gross bits in this chapter – a warning for the squeamish.**

When he finally released her wrist, she had him turn to his side with his back facing the opening of the cave. _'I need more light to see exactly what I'm doing'_ she fretted to herself.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I need more light to see the extent of the damage. I do not want to injure you any more than you already are" she calmly told him, knowing full well that he would not appreciate her dalliances.

"Hn, your weak human eyes are not this Sesshoumaru's problem." was his stiff response.

Searching around in her backpack for her torch and not finding it, only to remember that she had given it to Shippo a couple nights back after a round of campfire ghost stories. The little kitsune had been scared out of his wits and had suddenly developed a fear of the dark, moonless woods. 'Hmmm, I hope he is ok without me' she idly thought. Her only alternative was to start a fire.

Her face suddenly scrunched up as she wondered aloud, "What did I do with all that wood I gathered earlier?"

And in classic Kagome fashion, she took two small steps forward and clumsily tripped over the kindling that was strewn all over the cave opening, which had her landing flat on her butt. _'It's a good thing Sesshoumaru can't see me, that was embarrassing' _as she started picking up the wood from her still seated position. It didn't take her very long to get it together and lit, thanks in part to the fact that she had lots of practice doing it nightly and of course because she used her "futuristic fire sticks" as Miroku called them, her matches. With the small fire going, the cave was suddenly much brighter as she ventured back to the daiyoukai's side.

What she saw made her stomach churn uncomfortably. _'It's a good thing I have not eaten anything. This is much worse than I thought but I can do this. I __**HAVE**__ to do this'_ she silently prayed for her nerves to calm and for the kami to lend her strength to finish the task.

The arrow, still intact with its feathered end was lodged into Sesshoumaru's left shoulder blade just above his armor. Only a truly skilled miko could land such a precise shot from a distance. It had gone straight through his inner and outer haori and left a black, charred-looking mark in its wake. She could see his skin through the hole of his clothing and the area looked infected and blistered not unlike a person who had received severe 3rd degree burns. She was sure that the arrow had probably gone through his scapula and possibly stopped near his vertebrae. If he was human, he would have suffered from paralysis if he had survived the arrow and attack. But this was Sesshoumaru, daiyoukai of the Western Lands and most likely the strongest youkai in all of Japan – he would survive and she would make sure of it. But it was going to hurt like hell.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, the arrow has gone through your shoulder blade. Even if I use my miko powers to try and dissolve it, it is possible that I won't get the arrowhead. I am going to have to remove it by surgical means. You are going to have to remove your armor and haori and lie on your side for me" she explained to him in the most knowledgeable, authoritative voice she could muster.

He could not sense any falseness in her words but the idea of him allowing her to perform any kind of surgery on him was most unsettling. He knew she was from the future and that medicine in her time was much more advanced – he had seen the things she used to bandage and treat her group with from her "first-aid box" time and time again but she was talking about having to cut into him to remove the metal arrowhead. He barely had the energy left to argue, his vision and sense of smell all but gone, only his hearing remaining but even that was being drowned out by the pain in his head.

"Miko, do what you must; just see that you do that use my weakness to your advantage or this Sesshoumaru will haunt you for all existence" his unmistakable baritone sounding more and more pained as he spoke.

She didn't waste any time removing his armor, outer and inner haori and mokomoko, trying her best not to look at his lean, chiseled chest and abdomen. Using the folded clothing as a pillow and the mokomoko like a sheet on the cold ground, she helped him lay down on his side. His skin was very feverish and he could no longer keep his eyes open. It was better that he was not awake while she did this because she knew she would not be able to bear to look into his face when the pain overtook his senses.

As she went to pull stuff out of her backpack and first aid box in preparation, Sesshoumaru was left to think how ironic it was that he too had been struck by a miko and needed another, the very same one in fact, to help him very much like InuYasha had. _'At least I was not pinned to a tree'_ he smirked. He could hear what sounded like water boiling and the sound of metal rattling in the small pot over the fire.

Kagome was fortunately well prepared. She pulled out her water bottle and poured some water into a small pot which she set over the fire. She then dug around in her pack until she came up with the tweezers that she had used before to pull porcupine quills out of Shippo and InuYasha once and dropped them into the quickly boiling water. Next on her list was her tanto, a gift from her grandfather – it was the only thing sharp enough to cut through flesh and possibly muscle. The thought of cutting into Sesshoumaru's back made her slightly nauseous, it was a good thing she wasn't afraid of a little blood. She pulled out a small clear plastic bottle and opened the cap, secretly glad that the inuyoukai's sense of smell was inhibited; the rubbing alcohol would have upset his sensitive nose, worse than it did when she used it on InuYasha. The tanto's blade was dipped into the hot water and then some alcohol was poured over it, a small towel under it to catch the overflow. Once the water had boiled, she removed the pot from the flame but kept it close so it wouldn't lose its heat. It was now or never.

Moving closer to Sesshoumaru's back with her tools in easy reach, she clasped her hands together and said a silent prayer before she grasped the arrow shaft and chanted over it. Soon her whole body was covered in a layer of iridescent pink light, with a heavier pink glow over the hand that held the arrow. Very much like she did when she removed the arrow from InuYasha's chest three years ago, the magic in the arrow fought hers before it crackled and was defeated, the shaft disappearing leaving the bloated black hole where it had punctured Sesshoumaru. However unlike Kikyou's sealing arrow, this arrow was laced with very powerful dark magic meant to kill whatever youkai it struck. It was only because of the magnitude of the daiyoukai's jyaki that he was still alive and not purified. With her hand still over the wound, she could sense the location of the arrowhead still buried within his body "Darn piece of crap arrow" she muttered.

It was finally time for the hard part. She was pretty adept at healing and bandaging up people but she was no doctor. _' Maybe if all goes well, I should think about going to medical school once I go back to my own time for good…As if I could get into university with my grades'_ she mused, her emotions running the gamut from determined to depressed in a matter of seconds. She kneeled down and looked over at Sesshoumaru's face, he looked so peaceful asleep but she knew it was the holy energy that had put him in a painful, almost drug-induced like sleep. He was completely unconscious now, any spasms he made totally out of his control. She did take liberty and ran her fingertips across the stripe that ran along his side, it felt like crushed velvet. _'Here is a youkai who could conquer the world with his raw power, he's normally so cold and reserved and untouchable. Who would have thought that he could be so hard and so soft at the same time'_ her heart ached again for the inu at her feet.

Using the towel that had the rubbing alcohol on it, she wiped the area on his back where the hole was, the infected area bubbled and oozed when the cloth touched it. She took the clean and sterilized tanto and made a circular incision around the entry wound, effectively cutting off and removing the outer most layers of burnt skin. She knew when it was all done that his youkai healing ability would re-grow the skin that was removed. Once the dead skin was thrown into the flame, she wiped the blade clean and made a long deep incision across the wound, large enough for her to stick the tweezers in so she could pull the arrowhead out. His blood was trying to congeal but it still leaked out of the opening; promptly using another rag that had been dipped into the hot water she wiped up what she could. She carefully stuck the blade of the tanto directly into him trying to assess how deep the deadly arrow tip was when she came to a stop at his scapular bone and the resounding clink of metal hitting metal. _'Whoa, that's deep in there'_ pulling the tanto out and realizing that about seven inches of it was covered in blood. New worry clouded her mind – she was going to have to stick her hand into his back in order to pull it out. The notion thoroughly troubled and disgusted her. Knowing it was the only way to get the job done; she hastily washed her hands with some hot water and slowly eased the tweezers and her right hand into the incision while she used the tanto in her left to hold the skin and muscle back.

"Be glad I have small hands or this would hurt more" she whispered lightheartedly to the resting dai.

The tweezers firmly planted within him finally struck bone and she continued her intrusion reaching around the rounded edge of his scapula, her whole hand now buried in his back before she felt the tweezers hit something hard. _'Ooh, now I now how it feels when InuYasha and Sesshoumaru punch their fist through demon's stomachs – this is so gross!'_ memories of both inu inflicting such wounds during battles flittering through her brain. She wiggled her fingers around the bone a little more and latched the tweezers around the arrow shaft that remained, trying hard not to puncture anything important or prick herself in the process. When that was done, she gave a mighty tug moving only her wrist and it was pulled free. She carefully and slowly pulled her arm out, the arrowhead finally clearing the entry wound and dropped it almost haughtily onto the bloody rag. "Ha, got you, you little bastard" she taunted to the inanimate yet so evil object lying next to her.

Not even waiting to wash her hands she rested both of her palms over the open wound and called on her healing power to seal the incision and stem the blood flow. "To whatever kami that hears me, please heal Sesshoumaru. He didn't deserve this and there are lots of demons and humans alike who rely on his guidance and protection. Little Rin would be devastated if she lost her "Sesshoumaru-sama", she needs him…I, I need him…" her prayer brought tears to her eyes and as they flowed down her face, they landed on the body of the daiyoukai below her. A brilliant blue light encased the sleeping youkai and open wounds slowly knitted back, his bleeding stopped, his breathing became less ragged and his fever broke. What neither realized, he because he was still unconscious and she because was sobbing too hard and her eyes were closed, was that the healing light centered over the stump of his left arm and it was slowly regenerated – bones, muscle, tissue, blood and finally pale skin ending in a perfectly striped wrist and clawed hand.

When the light receded, she stepped back, wiping her face as she did. She felt dirty and tired. The surgery was a success but there was no one around to celebrate with. She quickly and neatly picked up all her medical tools and rags, the small pot that had the water and her backpack and made her way out of the cave. As an afterthought, she placed a barrier at the cave opening, sealing Sesshoumaru inside away from any rogue demons; she couldn't have anything attack him in his present condition. There was a small creek about a mile away from the cave that she had passed earlier that night and at that point, she didn't care how cold the water was, she needed a bath.

Reaching the bank of the creek she knelt down and washed off all the blood off of her tanto, tweezers and various rags and emptied and rinsed the small pot off before leaving them all on a boulder to dry off. Her aching body cracked and felt stiff as she peeled off the sweater and jeans she was wearing; they reeked of sweat and blood. Slowly easing herself into the cool water, she ducked under and came up fast. It wasn't too bad if you were fully submerged but she had no intention on lingering there long. She grabbed her soap and scrubbed hastily, forgoing her hair for another day and rinsed off within mere minutes before running out of the water for her towel. After drying off and re-dressing in a warm sweatshirt and comfortable-enough-to-sleep-in yoga pants, she bundled up her dirty clothes and the rags into a giant plastic bag and stuffed everything back into her backpack. She was mindful to fill up her water canteens remembering that she had used most of the water already and that Sesshoumaru would certainly be parched once he regained consciousness.

In less than fifteen minutes, she was back at the cave and casually walked through her barrier, dropping her bag to one side of the fire. Her main focus was the wellbeing of her patient as she crept over to him. The wound on his back was completely closed and the skin back to normal, only a silver scar where the incision was made remained. He was still lying on his side and asleep. _'Maybe he'd be more comfortable on his back now that it's healing so well. I wonder if that is all his youkai healing or both mine and his, either way he'll be fine to go in the morning at this rate'_ she reasoned, a huge sigh later. She was cautious of his presence even in his current state, so she carefully lifted him up around the waist and chest, his head resting against her shoulder; the intimacy of that hold not lost to her as she rested him down with his back completely lying on top of mokomoko, his head back on the makeshift pillow made from his haori, his hair spilling out over the sides like a silver halo. It was when she pulled back that she realized the enormity of his healing – he had two arms again. _'Did I do that?'_ she questioned, not believing in the power and strength of her own spiritual abilities.

She was stuck, unable to stop looking at the youkai lying next to her. He truly was magnificent and now that he had both his arms, he looked more complete. Under her awestruck eyes, he suddenly shivered which broke her out of her little trance. She ran over to her pack and pulled out the spare blanket she always carried, it had recently been washed so it didn't smell too much of human, more like springtime flowers and sunshine, at least that's what the detergent bottle had said. She walked back and covered up his bare torso and arms, the bottom of the blanket not even reaching his booted feet. As tired as she was and as much as she wanted to stay by his side until he awoke, she knew it was best that she didn't. He might have been receptive to her presence while he was injured but she knew once he awoke, well rested and healthy that he would want her gone from his sight. It choked her up thinking about having to go back to being on uneasy terms with him after everything she had through this night; especially knowing that she had to keep it all to herself.

Mind made up, she unhooked one water canteen and left it within arms reach of him and she leaned forward and kissed him on his forehead on his crescent moon, letting her hand push back some stray strands of his silken hair. "Be well Sesshoumaru-sama." she whispered into his ear before standing and walking towards her pack and the fire. She put enough wood in it for it to last the night and shouldered her pack, grabbed her bow and quiver and headed towards the cave entrance. She stuck her hand in the pack's side pocket looking for her matches, and instead pulled out the ominous arrowhead that had caused the entire ruckus. Using one of her handkerchiefs she bundled it up and placed it near the fire on a small boulder with a little note that simply said "Your secret is safe with me for as long as I live." Stepping through her barrier, she chanted and made it one-way, so that Sesshoumaru would be able to leave whenever he was ready but nothing else would be able to enter.

The temperature had gotten colder but there was no stopping until she found somewhere else to camp out. A sudden tingle alerted her to the presence of a Shikon shard and she turned and headed in that direction while masking her own aura. _'No need to let whatever it is knows that I'm coming'_ she surmised. In the dead of night, with only the draw of the Shikon guiding her path, she had no idea that she was in fact heading further into the Western Lands, drawing closer and closer to Sesshoumaru's Citadel.


	3. Chapter 3: Righting a wrong

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the mere sparks of imagination. Characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Media et al. Original story idea, The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop. _

_Reference:Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum_

A/N: A shout out to MikoAnna for the tremendous "pat on the back". I don't know if I will continue to write once this story is complete, being a beta is much easier ;) Thanks to everyone who reads it.

Morning came quickly after the ordeal and the sun's rays found their way into the small cave opening and onto the body of the resting daiyoukai. He was not usually one to sleep past dawn but his exhausted body had kept him sedated well past sunrise. Finally stirring, he raised an arm to shield his eyes from the bright light before finally cracking his eyes open. At first he did not seem quite sure of his surroundings, not surprising considering he had been unconscious through most of the night. Slowly he eased his body up into a sitting position and noticed that he was covered by a bright blue blanket made out of some material he could not recognize. _'It must be the miko's.'_ he grimaced as he took a tender sniff of it only to come up with something akin to flowers. There was barely a trace of her on it. Casting a weathered glance around the cave, he observed the small fire pit, down to its embers now and a water canteen sitting away from him.

He took a moment to stretch and stopped midway. Golden eyes turned left and downwards and widened as he stared at the pale clawed hand that was held in the air. He had to look over to his right arm before he looked back at the arm that he had lost over three years ago, visibly perfect before he flexed his fingers and clenched his fist – it felt as though it had always been there. _'How is this possible? Did she do this?'_ he pondered; too many questions without readily available answers. Getting to his feet, he reached around his left shoulder with his new arm to find the wound completely healed. The only signs of the injury were the blood trail on the ground and spatter on his mokomoko. _'She is more powerful than this Sesshoumaru has ever imagined'_ the thought impressed and worried him.

It was obvious that she had left hours ago, her scent was old and faded except nearest the fire pit. He walked forward and saw a small scrap of cloth tied with a piece of paper sitting on a rock and picked it up. As he unfolded the material, he read her little note.

"Hn, I have no doubt that she will keep this secret" he grunted to himself and looked down to find the purified arrowhead in his open hand.

Memories of being pierced and his strength deteriorating raced through his mind as his fingers started to glow green. The compulsion to melt away the damning evidence of his weakness was strong but they were quickly replaced by the recollection of the crying miko pleading for him to let her help him. Her tears meant little to him but the words remained, _'She said that she did not want me to die'_. A strange pain engulfed his chest at the thought that he now owed her a debt – she had saved his life and had not asked for anything in return – and he was an honorable demon; regardless of the situation or whoever was involved. He needed to find her and question her about the return of his arm amongst other things. For the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru, daiyoukai of the West needed to thank someone and it was a ningen priestess from the future. His life was definitely not going to be dull any longer.

He dressed hastily and picked up the blanket and canteen, draining the latter before placing the wrapped arrowhead and note into the sleeve of his haori. Using his poison claws, he erased any trace of his blood from the cave floor and stepped to the entrance. His trademark smirk graced his face as he found the last proof of the miko's powers, her barrier. _'She left this for my protection while she went out into the night'_ his own concern quite evident but it was not something he would ever let anyone know or see. As he stepped through it, the pink light faded and disappeared.

"It seems this Sesshoumaru has a miko to find" he exclaimed as he created his demon cloud and followed the scent trail left behind by Kagome's flight.

The new day did not find Kagome in good spirits however. After tailing the shard for several hours, her body finally was too fatigued to go any further. She had no idea where she was or how far she had walked since leaving Sesshoumaru sequestered in the cave. _'Maybe I should have stayed with him, his rejection would have been better than me dropping dead from exhaustion'_ she griped as she practically dragged herself forward. There were no secluded copses or clearings and no caves around her, just a long winding path bordered by mighty trees.

"This kind of reminds me of the Yellow Brick Road in the Wizard of Oz" she remarked while looking down at the sea of dead leaves that glowed in the dawn light.

A stumble or two later, she was ready to give up. Hopefully she would still be able to sense the shard after she had a chance to rest and recover her strength; a bath in a hot springs would help to but she had yet to come across one in her tireless solo journey.

"It figures, when I'm alone and want to take a soaking bath, I can't find a hot springs but when I'm with InuYasha there's always one around the corner and I have to fight to get him to let me use it…life so sucks right now" she spat out, her face set in a scowl, not too dissimilar to the one, her former patient always wore.

Not long after her outburst, she spied a couple of fallen trees that were hollow from age and rot. The space was large enough for her to crawl in and lay down but she could not sit up, which was quite fine with her. All she wanted to do was sleep. Grabbing an armful of the moss blanket that lay on the wooded floor, she made a makeshift door to hide herself from anyone or anything else that walked along the trail and crawled in. Digging in her backpack, she pulled out her sleeping bag and lay it out, too tired to bother to zip herself in, she collapsed on top of it, her pack at her head and fell fast asleep.

Far off on the southern border of the Western Lands, the group of shard hunters were awakening to the growls and rants from an irate hanyou.

"Where is she? That stupid wench better had not gotten herself abducted or worse…or so help me, I'm going to beat the crap out of her if I have to save her stupid useless self again"

A sleepy Sango and an even sleepier Shippou opened their eyes to see Miroku quickly advancing to the side of the fuming InuYasha.

"Kagome did not return from her walk last night. I assume she was still upset about your argument over yesterday's battle and probably felt that some time away from you was best" the monk calmly explained before continuing, his normally even-keeled voice beginning to show signs of bitterness and pent up irritation. "If you had bothered to come back to camp before dawn you would have been aware of that fact. Where exactly were you last night?"

"Where I was and what I do with my time is none of your concern monk. She needed time away from me, ha! She almost shot me with one of her stupid arrows and SHE'S UPSET WITH ME." InuYasha groused loudly, growing more and more frustrated about the fact that his miko shard detector had left the group without so much as a word as to where she was going or when she planned on returning. "We don't have time for this shit, grab your stuff – we are leaving **NOW**!!"

Sango and Shippou were almost through packing up the camp before the hanyou bellowed and with Miroku's help they loaded up their things and jumped atop a transformed Kirara, waiting to see what direction InuYasha headed off to. The taijiya and monk were actually quite worried about the safety of their missing friend, especially since it was the first time in the three years together since she had been drawn into the Feudal era that she had spent the night away from all of them. Normally after one of their heated arguments instead of saying 'SIT' as did in the past, she would now just wander off alone to give InuYasha time to cool off before she either came back on her own or he went to retrieve her. For all his gruffness and abrasive nature, he did actually care about her; he just really sucked at showing it.

Kagome had changed with the death of Kikyou. After the reburial, Kaede noticed the young miko's personality and aura shift and believed that with the return of the missing piece of her soul, the part that housed her anger and hatred that she was less willing to put up with InuYasha's incessant ranting. She spent more time to herself although she never neglected her friends or stopped helping others; that was a part of her that would never change. It became obvious to the rest of the group that she no longer harbored intimate feelings for the hanyou and treated him no differently than everyone else. Her determination to see to the destruction of Naraku and the reclamation of the Shikon shards was her main priority and she had all but given up on traveling back and forth to her own time if it meant that she could be done with her duty sooner.

She had told Sango in private one night during their bath time that she was not sure what she would do once they had defeated the spider hanyou and made the wish on the jewel; that if the jewel didn't automatically send her back to the future that she didn't have any reason for her to stay in the Feudal era and on the flip side that trying to return to a life that she had put on hold would be just as stressing and disorientating.

'_My soul is torn between two worlds, the one I was born into and the one I grew up in. I have two families and I love you both very much but I feel like I do not belong in either. When I thought I was in love with InuYasha I would have done anything to spend the rest of my days with him and I did everything I could to become stronger and be the only woman he would have ever wanted but now that I know that those feelings were unfounded, what good is having all of this new found power if I return to my time ? There is no need for mikos in the future, like demons; we are the fodder for my history books and children's fairy tales. My honor prevents me from abandoning my quest and at this point, we have been through too much for me to just walk away. I do it to avenge your family and village, for Shippou's father, for Miroku's curse, for the love that InuYasha and Kikyou could have had, for everyone who has died or suffered under the wrath of Naraku – that is the purpose of my life, the destiny the kamis have bestowed upon me; beyond that only time will tell. I may never find happiness or love or someone to share my life with but maybe that is just the way it is supposed to be.' _

The memory of those words brought tears to Sango's eyes. If anyone deserved happiness, it was Kagome and right now all she cared about was finding her safe and sound. When they found her, after giving her a big hug, she'd yell at her for making her worry so much. Taking a good guess at the reason for Sango's silent sobs, Miroku wrapped his arms around her a little tighter from his spot behind her on Kirara's back and pulled her back against his chest. Shippou, in front, smelled the salt trailing down her face and snuggled himself even further into her embrace. The only thing or person rather on their minds and in their hearts was their friend and loved one, Kagome.

High above the treetops, a figure clad in red turned and sniffed the air, a small growl erupting from his lips. _'Where the hell did she go off to? I didn't say anything to her that could possibly make her this mad, did I?'_ doubt slowly creeping into him. _'We always argue but she always forgives me and comes back. I know she wasn't aiming at me and she can't help be a klutz but she didn't come back this time; but why did she have to go wandering off in the Western Lands. What if Sesshoumaru found her? She better be safe wherever she is'_ his anxiety getting the better of him now. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught sight of Kirara and her passengers huddled together, pained concerned looks on their faces. _'I will find her. I will fix this. I will not lose Kagome just because I don't know how to keep my temper in check and when to keep my mouth shut. I promised to protect her and if anything happens to her, I don't know what I would do.'_ Fear and worry spurring his pace as he turned and headed deeper and deeper into his half-brother's territory.

The sun was high in the sky before the daiyoukai caught the strong scent of the miko he was searching for. _'Jasmine and spiced vanilla, an odd combination in truth but quite befitting of this particular onna'_ he contemplated. Sesshoumaru loved a challenge, was excellent at solving riddles and the enigmas of life but never in all his years had he ever come across someone as unique as Kagome Higurashi.

When she had brokered the truce between the Inu half brothers almost two years ago, after the despicable incident of Rin's abduction and Kikyou's second death by Naraku, Kagome felt it necessary to 'lay all her cards out on the table' so to speak and be totally honest about who she was and where she came from to the demon lord. She understood demon culture much better now and knew that by accepting him as an ally and by the mere actuality that he was InuYasha's older brother that he was, whether he chose to be or not, the Alpha of their pack. It would be considered traitorous under penalty of death to keep such secrets from him. InuYasha rebelled against the decision saying that his "asshole of a half-brother would use her to his advantage so he could take over the world or something". "Too much television in her time was rotting his brain" was her response.

She came prepared when she made her announcement, armed with an armful of colorful scrolls 'school books' she called them and various tools and implements from her time. It was not that Sesshoumaru didn't believe her; it was obvious to everyone that she was different; it was the enormity of her declaration. It explained many things that he had questioned over the time that he had witnessed her – from her strange, indecent clothes, her manner of speech, her independent-bordering-on-disrespectful attitude towards matters of culture and possession, her utter lack of understanding of demons and her own powers…There were so many more questions but at least he finally got answers and all without having to threaten her for them.

He finally understood why she showed no fear, was so open and friendly and never held anything back. It was the way she was raised, in a time 500 hundred years from now, where there were no demons (or so she said), where man's advancements in every field were taken for granted and accepted as the only truth. The thought of there being no demons in the future bothered him and he bristled at the idea of being only remembered in some dusty tome as a legend. As a military strategist, he could have decided to use her knowledge of upcoming historical events to his benefit, as the hanyou had obnoxiously insinuated but he was struck with the greater realization that their common foe would be an even greater problem if he were to ever become aware of the miko's secrets. While he did not put much consideration into his alliance with InuYasha, the old saying "The enemies of my enemies are my friends" took on a whole new life for him. Regardless of his general distaste for the human race, this was one human, aside from his ward Rin that had to be protected at all costs. Her being the chosen Shikon Miko and probably the only person that could finally put an end to Naraku's reign of terror only further cemented that fact.

As he descended from the sky, the auras of many unknown demons assaulted his powerful senses. He had been shielding his own aura while in-flight and was about to release his jyaki when he sensed the malicious auras close to where Kagome's scent was emanating from. A nest of viper demons had been hunting along the wooded trail and had come across a rather delectable trace of something pure and definitely human. Poor Kagome, asleep in her camouflaged fallen tree had no idea of the happenings of the world outside of her dreams. Whatever power she had left before falling asleep was used as a barrier to protect the vial of shards that hung on the silver chain around her neck, leaving her body wide open for anything demonic to detect. They slunk through the fallen leaves almost soundlessly and blended in almost invisibly with the surrounding trees. The leader, a tall lean black headed male with mossy green slits for eyes slithered up to the miko's hidden resting area and slowly moved aside the mossy curtain that had been sheltering the opening to the hollowed tree. With the sunlight filtering in through the trees, even his faulty vision could make out the petite ebony-tressed girl lying within. He could hear her shallow, even breathing and she was totally unawares as he crept further in, twisting into the narrow space drawing closer and closer to her form. A pink forked tongue flicked out of his mouth as he hissed out a warning to his brethren outside "Tasty morsel my find, go search elsewhere". Thinking to himself that a boon such as her would be too great to devour hastily, his intention was to poison her and carry her limp body back to his nest where he could feed off of her vitality at his own leisure. Inclining over the bag that sat above her head, he leaned his head forward, open mouth and venomous fangs over the arm that rested over her face and took a good long look at his prey before commenting "This will be over in a minute". With the swiftness that could only come from a snake demon, his fangs embedded themselves into her wrist as he released his paralyzing poison into her bloodstream.

Two things happened next that he was not expecting, never in his wildest dreams or worst nightmares: the instant the poison entered her body, Kagome's eyes shot open and she released a death-wail of a scream that stunned the viper's near non-existent hearing and within the time it took for him to blink twice, his body was forcibly pulled out of the hollow and he came face to face with a red-eyed Inu taiyoukai. His recollection of who exactly he was dealing with was too short to form any comprehensible words before his head was removed from his body. Before his brain stopped functioning, his eyes cast aside to see the dismembered bodies of his nest all in similar or worse conditions to him and his last thoughts were _' Who the hell was that onna and what is she to Sesshoumaru-sama?'_ As a reflex action, his tongue darted out his mouth and his life was snuffed out by the end of a green acid whip slicing his head in two.

Sesshoumaru lost all control when he came across the viper demons lingering too close to Kagome's dwindling aura. He knew in an instant that she was weakened probably from all the energy she had exerted during the night dealing with him and he was enraged. After disposing of the dozen or so sentries along the trail, he ran to where he sensed the last demon was. He got there just the scream exploded from within the tree; not letting the ear-shattering sound affect him, he grabbed the snake by its legs and pulled it out. Her blood dripped from its fangs and ran down the chin of the vile creature. Compelled to seek vengeance for the miko who had saved his life just hours ago, he let his bestial side take over as he decapitated the floundering demon in his arms and for good measure sliced his head in twain, because everyone knew that a snake's head could operate without a body and this one had already bitten one victim too many. He been poisonous by nature from birth was immune to pretty much every poison there was but Kagome was human and from the sound of it was battling the venom with her holy powers but her exhausted body was too weak to put up a good fight.

He wasted no time before splitting the hollow tree with his whip, allowing him easier access to pull her out. The old trunk split down the middle like a hot dog bun leaving the writhing miko inside. Grabbing her pack and slinging it over his shoulder, he reached in and lifted her small body holding her gently against his armored chest, her head resting on his mokomoko. She was shaking violently and sweating profusely, her lips a horrid shade of purple. Using his restored arm, he cautiously lifted her violated wrist – the bite mark was bloated and discolored, her blood still flowed slowly out of the puncture marks, all the veins in her arm were raised and blue – the venom was still racing through her system. There was very little time left before she would be completely paralyzed and eventually die. He had to take her to the healers in the Western Citadel, he owed her that much if not more.

Before he could take two steps to turn around, she whimpered in his arms "I don't want to die". He didn't think she knew that it was him not that it mattered but for some unknown reason, he didn't want her to die either. He concentrated his jyaki and transformed into his orb and flew off in the direction of his home. The only thing on his mind was the welfare of the frail woman in his arms.


	4. Chapter 4: Hidden Emotions

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the mere sparks of imagination. Characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Media et al. Original story idea, The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop. Excerpts of storyline taken from Manga volumes 371 onwards._

A/N: My eternal praise and gratitude for all the wonderful authors/authoress/betas who continue our love and fascination with their amazing tales. Thanks to everyone who reads it. Extra special thanks to Rowdys Girl for her encouraging words of advice – hopefully I don't let you down.

A blur of red skidded to a stop on the trampled path that was the final resting place for the nest of vipers. _'This place reeks of Sesshoumaru'_ he scowled, his powerful sense of smell picking up the trace jyaki that remained from the daiyoukai's whip of light. There were over a dozen dead youkai littered all around him, some in unrecognizable pieces. He followed the scent left behind by his half-brother, it growing more and more violent the further he progressed. So deep in his thoughts, he didn't even hear Kirara land behind him or his friends dropping to the ground and following behind until Miroku spoke up.

"InuYasha, I am detecting a very faint remnant of reishi in the area over there" using his shakujou to point in the direction of a group of fallen trees. "It could be Kagome…" he started to add but at the mere mention of their missing friend's name, the hanyou had bound off leaving the tired humans, kit and neko to chase after him.

The closer he got to the place the monk had pointed out, the more potent Sesshoumaru's youki prevailed, then the scent of Kagome's blood entered his nose and he let loose an extremely bestial growl. Automatically reaching for the Tetsusaiga, he didn't even wait for it to be transformed before he arrived at the source of his ire. There lying on the ground at his feet was the divided head of one of the viper demons, the skull had been rendered in two halves like a ripe melon but it was the red stains around the demon's mouth that captured his attention most. Bending down to smell, he inhaled the one scent he longed for more than anything, _'Kagome' _his heart twisting like in a vice. Guilt immediately overtook his thoughts, '_This is my fault. She left and didn't come back because of me'._

He stood up and absentmindedly followed her scent to a hollow tree that had been split much like the snake's head. In it he found the sky blue sleeping bag that his best friend had been using for the last year. Hell, he had been with her in the camping store when she bought it; continually complaining about how he had destroyed her last one during a fight with a bull youkai:

"_Kagome, how was I supposed to know that bulls go berserk when they see the color red?" he questioned, not seeing what the big deal was._

"_InuYasha everyone knows that the ONLY color that bulls can see is red, your first clue should have been the fact that he was only charging you when I was the one holding the shards. Your haori is like a giant bull target. But no, you had to use my sleeping bag as a distraction" her patience wearing thin from having to explain something so basic to him yet again._

"_Baka! It's a good thing that you told my mother it was your fault, otherwise you would have had to get a job to be able to replace it – these things are expensive" she remarked, as she held a couple different ones in her hands._

"_Feh, how much could it be for a stupid oversized blanket?" he grumbled as he grabbed the nearest tag to see for himself. "What the…are these people crazy, they are trying to rip you off. This is enough for you to buy me a hundred packs of ramen" he was stupefied by the price._

"_Actually, it would be closer to two thousand packs of ramen" she casually threw back at him_

"_Whatever, if you have to have one just don't buy red again" he came back with as he picked up a bright blue one that reminded him of the clear skies back in the Feudal era._

"_Hmmph, as if I would, after that. Hey, let me see that one you're holding" she was miffed that he would throw the blame back at her, but it was expected. It was the way he showed that he cared._

_At least he had good taste as she looked over the sorairo colored bag. It was roomy enough for her and Shippou, it was waterproof and made from all-weather material and the color was dazzling – so she bought it, not taking into consideration the ¥18,000 price. It was not something she could do without especially in the coming winter months._

He was holding it to his chest, tears threatening to fall from his reddened eyes when Sango came and put her hand on his shoulder. He above anyone else was in dire need of some comfort, no longer able to disguise his obvious guilt and pain. Sometimes it felt like everyone forgot that he was half-human too. While it was his demon half that gave him the strength to battle, it was his human half that allowed his heart to feel; it was in fact his emotions that guided him, even though he did not know how to properly express them. Sango was not given even a moment to gather her thoughts on what she wanted to say to InuYasha, before a screaming ball of orange lunged at the distressed hanyou.

"This is your fault, Inubaka!!! She left camp because of you, she stayed away from us because you don't know how and when to shut your stupid trap or when to say that you're sorry" waves of anger and grief rolled off the little kitsune as he continued to lay into InuYasha. His hold on the collar of the half-breed's haori growing tighter and tighter the more he screamed.

Sango was mortified at Shippou's outburst but she knew that it would be for the best to let the two of them have it out. There was only so much emotion a being could hold in before they exploded and it was astonishing to see that this came from the smallest member of the group. InuYasha could only stand there, ears folded downwards, while the little fox continued to attack him verbally – he knew he deserved it so he could find no fault in him or any of the others; it was clear that they were all feeling the same way by their noted lack of reaction.

"I know you think that I don't know anything because I am still young but I am a full demon and I trust what my nose tells me. Kagome was here, and she was attacked and bitten by **that** viper" pointing a shaky finger to the corpse at their feet "Sesshoumaru-sama showed up and killed them all. I know that, because I can smell him on the bodies and I can smell him on her sleeping bag too." he relayed after taking a long sniff at the blue bag still in InuYasha's hands.

Sango finally found her voice then "Did Sesshoumaru-sama take Kagome? Why would he do all of this and take her?" the questions and thoughts overwhelming her so much that she practically slumped into Miroku's open embrace, unable to find the strength needed to stand any longer.

"I don't know what that bastard had in mind but I intend on finding out and getting Kagome back in the process" his frustration hitting an all-time high. _'Sesshoumaru I am coming for you. You better not have done anything to Kagome or so help me, I will kill you, truce or no'_.

He pried Shippou off of him and put him on the ground before folding the sleeping bag and handing it over to Sango, who held it gingerly, like it was her only link to her missing friend. InuYasha looked into Miroku's face and grumbled "Follow me; I think I know where to find that pompous ass".

Kirara transformed at the command and the taijiya, monk and kitsune climbed aboard again. They all turned around to ask the hanyou exactly where they were going but InuYasha had already sped off down the long trail. He didn't need directions – he was going HOME.

A giant ball of light appeared over the wall of the Western Citadel's main gate and in the blink of an eye, the great Western Lord himself appeared, holding something that suspiciously looked like a small onna. Before anyone could stop to question him, he sped through the doors and up to the family wing of his home. Using his foot to push open the door to the unused bedroom, he gently placed the pale, shivering miko on the futon before turning to speak to the myriad of servants who had appeared as if by sheer mind power.

"Ai, tell Misaki she is needed in here now to treat the Shikon miko for viper poisoning" his deep baritone spelled out to the slight tsuru-youkai maid.

Ai flew from the room literally, to the Infirmary in search of the Citadel's chief healer, the fukuro-youkai Misaki. The old owl had been with the Inu family since the time of Sesshoumaru's great, great, great grandfather, the very first Inu no Taisho. She had birthed and buried many generations since she came to be a healer and her loyalty to the current daiyoukai was beyond reproach. She was one of the few youkai that the Inu lord actually feared and respected enough to treat like family, aside from his young ward, Rin. So when the crane youkai landed almost breathless at her feet, she was on alert for bad news from her lord; it was not what she expected.

"Misaki-san, Sesshoumaru-sama needs you to come to the family wing to treat the Shikon Miko. She has been bitten by a viper….she was barely breathing when I saw her" she rattled off, still trying to catch her own breath.

"We must leave quickly, let me grab my bag. Ai, please grab that suture kit from the table" the owl hooted out, as she scampered around her work area grabbing various tinctures and herbs and shoving them into her bag. "Where is that damned viper antidote??" she pondered aloud, her thick eyebrows coming together. Finally finding the missing bottle that was hidden on the shelf and pocketing it, she raced out of the infirmary as fast her old legs would carry her, Ai following behind – they took to the air just outside of the doorway and headed directly for the balcony of the bedroom where the young miko lay.

Every youkai in the Western Citadel was aware of the Shikon Miko. Most had never seen her but all had heard the various stories and recollections of her struggles against the vile kumo-hanyou, Naraku and of her friendship to the other, but technically not legally recognized Western lord, InuYasha. Any miko who battled for the welfare of all and befriended youkai and hanyou was a rare find. She was said to be very gentle, kind, generous and humble – very unlike the rest of her species. Her biggest admirer was none other than Rin herself. Every time the little girl returned from another expedition with the daiyoukai, she would retell tales of how Kagome-sama had looked after her, had bathed and brushed her hair, had brought her gifts, had rescued her on occasion, had played with her…the list was never-ending. The personal servants closest to Rin all believed that she loved and adored the miko like she was an older sister. Over the course of time, the young girl had taken to acting less rambunctious and frivolously, something even Jaken had to agree was because of Kagome-sama's influence. It was not unheard of to hear her say "I want to be like Kagome-sama when I grow up" or "Kagome-sama said that young ladies do not act that way". Her spirit and mischievous nature did not go away, just matured to an unbelievable level especially since the meetings between the two ningen females were infrequent and often quite brief.

So one would think that the news that Sesshoumaru-sama had returned to the castle a day later from his patrols carrying the Shikon Miko limply in his **arms**; yes, by now the entire Citadel knew that their lord had two arms again, and that he had called for the healer to come to the family wing, to the bedroom that no one had stepped foot into in the hundreds of years since his own mother had departed the castle, would have been kept from impressionable young ears but it wasn't. So no one should have been surprised when Rin bolted away from her teacher after hearing the gossiping tanuki-youkai mention the words 'shikon miko'. She had no idea why Kagome-sama would come up in conversation but the fact that all the youkai around her were talking about her meant that something had happened. Sesshoumaru-sama would know and the best place to find him was usually his study. For an eleven year old girl, her speed was quite a sight, as she raced through the hallways and up and down staircases, before throwing open the study doors and finding only Jaken inside.

"Is it true Jaken-sama? Is Kagome-sama here?" she asked, her little feet itching to move again as soon as she knew where.

Jaken rolled his eyes at the young ward. "Stupid girl, why aren't you doing your lessons? Who said anything about the miko being here? As if Sesshoumaru-sama would let her filthy human self into the Citadel". He was about to say more when a small stampede of maids ran past the open doors heading towards the family rooms. He heard snippets of their hurried conversations and what he had gleaned worried him. Unfortunately for him, Rin who had been standing just inside the doorway, heard them quite clearly as well and didn't wait for the imp to respond before she raced off in the same direction. The miko was here and she was with Sesshoumaru-sama.

"Kamis, why do you punish me so?" he squawked, looking up to the sky.

Arriving to the open bedroom door, the sight that greeted her instantly made her tense up. Misaki-sama and Ai-chan were grinding herbs and mixing something off to the side of the room, while the other maids were in the process of changing the sheets and covering up the body that lay on the futon. Sesshoumaru-sama was standing with his back to the door obviously overseeing the whole process. She could hardly make out who it was as she stepped in, no one noticing her slow deliberate pace. As she got closer to the foot of the futon, the crown of black hair became visible and she didn't wait to be greeted before she ran around to the side and climbed up to grab at the arm that lay just outside of the blanket.

"Kagome-sama, Kagome-sama" she called out, before two strong arms pulled her away.

"Rin, what is the meaning of this? Why are you not at your lessons?" the daiyoukai questioned, his eyebrow disappearing into his bangs, a visible scowl on his face

"Rin is sorry Sesshoumaru-sama but Rin heard that Kagome-sama was here and Rin wanted to see her" she answered, still concerned as to why the older girl had not responded.

"You can not be in here right now. The miko has been injured and Misaki-sama needs to look after her. You would only get in the way" he was trying his best to be gentle with his ward, knowing how attached she had become to the miko but knew that is was not something she should be witness to.

Luckily, he was still holding onto Rin because just as he was about to send her on her way, Misaki pulled the infected arm out into the open, the dreadful sight of the black puncture wound and the blue raised veins running the length of her arm to her shoulder, earning gasps from some of the other maids and a very audible cry from the little girl.

"Kagome-sama, nooooooo"

The dai had no choice but to take her out of the room then.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, what happened to Kagome-sama? Is she going to be ok? Please tell me. Please, Rin does not want her to die" the words coming out all choked up, tears streaming down her face.

'_Those words again'_ his mind was reeling. He hated tears and he couldn't stand the sight of his ward's even more, it broke something inside of him, something he would rather forget existed. It was the same thing that constricted at the thought of the miko being injured. He knew he would have to tell Rin, it was better that he did rather than having her hear it from his gossiping staff. Obviously, there were no secrets within these walls, if she had found out about the miko's presence mere minutes after their arrival.

"Rin, listen to me", he implored and she looked up into his face, her tears still streaming in rivulets down her cheeks. He grimaced as he broke the news to her "The miko was attacked by a viper-youkai and was bitten. Misaki-sama needs to give her anti-venom to prevent the poison from paralyzing and killing her. She is very weak and needs to rest. There is nothing you or this Sesshoumaru can do for her right now. It will probably be some time before she will wake up."

The look on the little girl's face made him want to go out, revive and kill the whole nest of snakes all over again. He didn't anticipate what came out of her mouth next.

"Rin hopes that you killed all the nasty snake youkai. They do not deserve to live after they attacked Kagome-sama. She never did anything to them. She only does good things" her displeasure over the whole situation was quite noticeable. He had never heard her speak ill of anyone or anything before and it spoke volumes of the level of affection that she held for miko.

"Yes Rin, this Sesshoumaru did make them pay for their assault on the miko" the need to ease her troubled heart outweighing the need to be prudent. "Why don't you go out to the gardens while Misaki-sama is with the miko? This Sesshoumaru is sure that the miko would appreciate some beautiful flowers when she awakes."

Given a new sense of purpose, she hugged him quickly and then ran off to her favorite place, leaving the Inu lord to question exactly when he started caring for not one but two ningen females. He didn't pause long before going back into the bedroom, this time giving instructions that no one was allowed to enter the room without his permission, including Rin.

Misaki had overheard the entire conversation between the young lord and his ward. She had to smile. He was becoming more and more like his father as the days went by, his apparent reluctance to leave the miko's side another sign of his blossoming heart. She had given the young onna the anti-venom and applied a poultice of charcoal, colloidal silver and indigo onto the entry wound and wrapped it in bandages before he returned and sat on the other side of the bed away from her injured wrist. Worry lines invaded his normally neutral face and she thought it best to put his mind at ease lest someone else catch onto his concern. It was apparent that he cared about the young woman.

"Kagome-sama is a strong onna. Her powers have put up quite a fight with the poison; although I dare say that you brought her here at the right time, any later and you would have needed Tessaiga to save her. The anti-venom is working its way through her bloodstream and the herbs should absorb whatever residual poison is left in her arm. I have no doubt that she will awaken before too long but she requires much rest to recover both her body and her reishi. I know you will see to it that she gets what she needs." And with that the owl-healer flew out the room the same way she came in, leaving Sesshoumaru alone with his thoughts and a healing miko.

"Miko...Kagome, I have heeded your request. You will not die so long as this Sesshoumaru is around to protect you. You have become far too important to too many." _'Me, included'_ He leaned back onto the headboard and closed his eyes, trying to still his restless mind in the mere moments of solitude he had been allowed, even with his youki tingling with the sensation that something unavoidable was going to happen soon. He was too tired to care.

Outside in the gardens, a little girl sat on a small bench, crying. She had tried to be strong when her Lord told her to go pick flowers for Kagome-sama but all she could think about was the nasty wound on the miko's arm and how pale and sick she looked. In many ways, Kagome was the only female influence in her life and she truly did love her as if she were family. The miko always treated her with kindness, understanding and acceptance. It was like having a big sister, something that she never had even in her life before coming to be with Sesshoumaru-sama. The thought of losing someone so precious to her was too much for her little heart to deal with. She would have to rely on Misaki-san's abilities and Sesshoumaru-sama's words.

"Rin hates feeling so helpless. Kami please protect and heal my onee-sama. She is a good person and is needed by many, including me and Rin thinks, Sesshoumaru-sama as well" her soft prayer and gentle tears were heeded by not only the Kami but also by the quiet shadow that sat hidden in the boughs of the great red maple, not ten feet behind her.

The shadow, all dressed in black, continued to look upon the young girl below him. She had finally gotten up and began picking the flowers that she had been sent out to get. Her sobs had receded to quiet hiccups as she flitted around the garden, often asking questions to herself like 'I wonder what Kagome-sama's favorite color was?" or 'I wonder if there was any flower that was her favorite?' _'So it was Kagome-sama that Sesshoumaru-sama brought in earlier. I am sure my onee-chan is very disturbed by her absence. I wonder what happened; it must be major if Rin-chan is so upset'_. His thoughts very in sync to the young girl underneath him; who had absolutely no idea that she was being watched or, rather, admired by the most unlikely of people.

Kohaku had regained his memories months ago and had been doing his best to stay away from Naraku and his minion's watchful glare. Only Kagura knew that his memory had returned and it was on her advice that he leave Naraku's castle and go back to his sister's side. It would be the last kind words she would ever give him, as she was brutally killed by the kumo-hanyou not a day later for once again betraying him. The young taijiya was not even aware of her demise but kept his promise to her to keep moving and to try and stay out of trouble.

As much as he longed to be reunited with Sango and Kirara, his guilt was just too much to deal with. Regardless of the fact that he was being controlled by the vile hanyou at the time, he did in fact murder his father and other village warriors and inflict serious bodily wounds to his sister – he didn't know how he could go on living with the memories. He had decided that his only fate was to give up his life by trying to wipe Naraku from existence; maybe then he would die with a clear conscience and be able to see his family in the afterlife. He didn't think that there was anything left in this world worth fighting or living for. That was until he saw her again….

Rin was not the same little girl that he had abducted and almost tried to kill in one of Naraku's evil schemes three years ago. She had grown significantly and yet retained that same joy of life, something he greatly missed. Her smiles and laughter were infectious and it brought back a sense of peace to his war-torn heart. After secretly helping her when she had gotten lost from Jaken's side while on one of the daiyoukai's patrols, he had become somewhat protective of her. He knew she was in more than capable hands as long as she remained with Sesshoumaru-sama but he never did trust the little imp, who spent an inordinate amount of time admonishing the young girl, for no other reason than he thought her below him due to her humanity and unworthy to be in Sesshoumaru-sama's presence.

Seemingly after almost losing her again to one of Naraku's manipulations, the stoic lord had secluded her to a life strictly within the Citadel walls; which was why the now, fifteen year old taijiya was now forced to continually breach the Inu lord's security and spy, from the branches of the trees in the gardens she frequented, on the young girl he had unwittingly fallen in love with. Even though he would never let her know, he never really ever left her side.

Only on the rarest of occasions, did he leave his perch, much like he did the night prior. He had overheard rumors from the guards that Sesshoumaru-sama had yet to return from his border patrols and that it was very unlike him to take this long when he was not burdened with having Rin and Jaken trailing behind him. Showing concern for his cherished one's guardian, he set off to ensure that there was nothing malevolent in the general area. The Citadel was well guarded but there was significant strife within the lands caused by roaming youkai, who deemed the current daiyoukai inept at overseeing his father's lands because of his ongoing dalliances with the weaker humans.

He had himself passed by the same nest of vipers as they foraged the surrounding woods for food; they did not seem like a threat at the time so he left them alone. Little had he known that they would eventually encounter the sleeping form of the Shikon Miko, whom he had inadvertently been running away from for many hours through the darkness. He had been miles away from the Citadel when the faint trace of the shikon was felt, unsure as to whether it was friend or foe, knowing that Naraku possessed over three-quarters of the jewel, his self-preservation kicked in and he weaved through the woods, finally losing his tail in the Irohamomiji forest that lay deep in the Western Lands. If he had known that it was his onee-chan's best friend, he would have never left her to fend the night alone.

The mighty daiyoukai awoke from his agitated slumber _'This Sesshoumaru does not even remember falling asleep'_ he absently thought, as he looked down and his golden orbs locked onto the still unconscious miko. Her hair was damp with sweat and stuck to her face in odd places. Feeling the need to rectify the messy coif, he gently tucked back a few random strands behind one rounded ear. That familiar constriction attacked his senses again; words to describe it still eluded him. _'What is this feeling this Sesshoumaru has when you are near miko? This Sesshoumaru admits that you an intrigue but we are so very different.' _Slowly running a claw down the side of her face to the part of her neck that remained outside of her blankets, he continued his inner monologue, knowing that she could not hear him even he were to speak aloud _'You are soft and fragile, stubborn and tempestuous; yet, you are also independent and loyal, kind and understanding, intelligent and strangely beautiful. You put honor before comfort. Material possessions and status mean nothing to you. How unlike any other female this Sesshoumaru has ever known. You call this Sesshoumaru an ally and have shown more commitment to maintaining such, that you willingly risk your own life to save another. This Sesshoumaru will forever be in your debt.'_

He had sensed the aura of the taijiya's brother nearby, it was not the first time but there was no maliciousness coming from him – it almost felt different and he silently speculated what the cause could be. He had not been witness to Kagura's betrayal of Hakudoshi, her refusal to kill the young male, who had only been kept alive by the shard that was embedded in his back. The boy had inadvertently become one of Naraku's pets and his death had already been promised to him if he ever tried to harm Rin again. It was nothing the Inu wanted to trifle with at the time, he would have been content to remain at Kagome's side until she awoke; unfortunately, his youki also picked up on the encroaching march of his half-breed half-brother InuYasha and the rest of his tachi. That made him growl, his sentient calm lost to the thought of having to have yet another altercation with the hanyou. At least this time, he was pretty sure it had to do with the young onna that lay inches from him. He had to admit that the inu-hanyou's tracking abilities had certainly gotten better since the last time they crossed paths. Not wanting to leave the miko alone while she recovered in a strange place, surrounded by demons she did not know, he quickly strode to the doorway and commanded the nearest guard to retrieve Rin from the gardens.

Within minutes, a more good-humored ward appeared in the hallway, flowers in hand. Glad that she was in a better mood than when she had been sent outside, he hurriedly instructed her,

"Stay with the miko, see that she gets her rest or this Sesshoumaru will be very cross with you. If anything changes, you are to find and tell this Sesshoumaru immediately. Do you understand Rin?"

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin will be very quiet and will make sure that nothing and no one bothers Kagome-sama while she sleeps. Rin promises". She was perceptibly excited about having such a responsibility conveyed to her and would do her utmost best to live up to her two favorite people's faith in her.

Assured by Rin's guarantee, he closed her within the room, leaving the two guards to stand watch over the ningen females. "If anything happens to either of them, you will forfeit your own life" he barked to them as he walked away. They just shook their heads in agreement and stared forward, secretly wishing that they had been assigned anywhere else instead of protecting the two young women. _'What could possibly go wrong within the Citadel's walls?'_ one of them scoffed.

The soldiers at the main gates were at odds with what they were supposed to do in the event that their current Lord's half-brother ever showed up at the Western Citadel. Most had never even seen him before, as this was the first time in InuYasha's life that he had ever returned to the place that by all rights should have been his home. Every citizen of the Western Lands knew the history of the last Inu-no-Taisho's demise at the hands of the ningen daimyo, Setsuna no Takemaru, who had killed the inu-hanyou's mother in a rage because she had fallen in love with the mighty Inu demon. Lady Izayoi had been resurrected by Tessaiga and survived the final battle long enough to give birth to InuYasha, as named by his father, before fleeing the destruction with only the Robe of the Firerat to protect her. She died from health complications early in the hanyou's life, leaving him an orphan, who was left to fend for himself due to his half-breed nature. It was a well known fact that Sesshoumaru-sama had no love for the hanyou; always commenting that his life was his to end but recently they had struck an accord when it was decided that they would team up to finally defeat the evil hanyou, Naraku.

So on this most auspicious day, after coming to terms that their great leader had somehow mysteriously regained his left arm and that the Shikon Miko lay unconscious in the rooms meant for the Lady of the Western Lands, the soldiers of the Citadel were greeted by an irate hanyou, who looked remarkably like their Lord.

"Oi Asshole, I know you are in there, I can smell you from way out here. I do not know what you planned on doing with Kagome but you can't have her, she's MINE. Come face me, you arrogant dog!" he hollered, loud enough for Sesshoumaru to hear him from whatever part of the Citadel he was in.

He didn't expect the gates to suddenly open and to be greeted by the equally agitated daiyoukai so quickly, but then again Sesshoumaru was never one to make anyone wait for a fight.

"InuYasha, your ignorant taunts could be heard by every youkai across these lands. Do you even possess any civility within that half-breed body of yours?" his answer bordered between anger and boredom and the casual flick of his hair over his shoulder was just added proof.

Not needing any further needling, InuYasha pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath and aimed it in the direction where his half-brother stood.

"Give me back my miko Sesshoumaru" he screamed, frustration rolling off his aura in waves.

When his only response was a cold smirk, he rushed forward, fully intending on killing his brother but only ended coming up short when fang clashed against fang. The hanyou looked down at the sword arm that the Inu lord was using and could only gasp. _'He got his left arm back…how could that be?'_ In that one moment of hesitation, Sesshoumaru blasted InuYasha back, until he came to a landing against the flamed legs of the neko-youkai, Kirara. The Inu-tachi had arrived.

Two stories up in the tenshu that held the family quarters, a young woman was awakening to the sounds of shouting and swords clashing. She felt like she had gotten run over by an oni and was too weak to even lift an arm up. Slowly the memories of waking up screaming and the pain overcame her senses and nausea threatened to make itself known. She had the faintest memory of someone saving her, of being held in strong arms but the ringing in her head did not help matters in the least. She tried to open her eyes but the lids felt heavy and unused; it was a strange sensation. So instead she willed herself to move what she could, finally succeeding in wiggling her nose.

Rin had been seated on the chair pulled near to the bed, so she could keep a watchful eye on Kagome-sama; her little hands in the process of braiding probably the hundredth flower chain since she came to the room, when she thought she heard slight movement from the body on the bed. Looking up and not seeing anything different, she crept closer to the still form, mindful to stay as quiet as possible. Still nothing, the miko was still sleeping; but then, a nose twitched. And it kept on twitching…Kagome-sama was waking up. The child jumped from the bed and ran out of the room; the guards left with hands raised in effort to try and stop the stampeding child; but knowing better, just closed the door back and continued protecting the onna that remained within.

She had heard the voices outside the open balcony of her Sesshoumaru-sama and what sounded like InuYasha-sama. They sounded very upset and she couldn't understand why. Maybe her Lord didn't want his brother to come see Kagome-sama in fear that he would wake her up. If that was the case then they would both be happy to hear that she wasn't sleeping anymore. She raced out the main doorway, out towards the honmaru and main gates. _'Sesshoumaru-sama said that I was to tell him as soon as something changed with Kagome-sama'_ she chanted in her head as she came to a stop not too far from him as he faced off with InuYasha-sama. He hadn't yet taken the time to notice that she was even there but she was used to waiting for him. Slowly turning her eyes away from the towering Inu, the next words she heard sent shivers down her spine.

" WINDSCAR!!!!" as yellow lines of lightning came barreling towards her. The last thing everyone heard was her scream before a shadow in black plucked her frozen form from the ground just moments before she would have been torn to pieces.

Translations:

Sorairo – Sky Blue

Tachi - Group

Tsuru – Crane

Fukuro – Owl

Tanuki – Raccoon

Irohamomiji – Japanese maple (tree)

Tenshu – tower (as in towers of a castle)

Honmaru – outer wall ( outer ring of castle wall)


	5. Chapter 5: New Lease on Life, Part I

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the mere sparks of imagination. Characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Media et al. Original story idea, The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop. Excerpts of storyline taken from the manga volumes 373 onwards._

**A/N:** All good things must come to an end and this is it my friends and loyal readers. Thank you for staying with me through this fabulous journey.

When the debris from the Windscar cleared, all heads turned to the direction of the black-clothed figure that crouched a ways from the destruction. He was breathing heavily as he looked down at the wilted body held firmly in his grasp; unsure of whether he had saved her in time. As his eyes inspected her for any wounds, she whispered quietly,

"Kagome-sama is awake."

The Daiyoukai was still so both in shock, and angered by InuYasha's reckless actions, that he did not hear the soft-spoken words as he advanced on their position. His primary concern was the status of his ward's well-being.

"Rin, are you sound? This Sesshoumaru can sense no injuries on your person" he commented, after checking her scent for any damage. Luckily there was none, aside from a few scratches and a bruise or two. There were many more questions he needed to have answered before he could deal with the half-breed's stupidity; but he was waiting on the young girl's response before he proceeded.

Kohaku casually wiped some detritus from Rin's hair and the soft touch soothed her so much that she opened her eyes, just to see who had done it. She had no idea who to expect; no one except for Kagome-sama or Sango-chan had ever comforted her in that way before. When her doe-brown eyes saw the face of the young man, who had kidnapped and threatened to kill her in the past, the only thing she felt was fear and hastily tried to get out of his arms. Sesshoumaru sensed her anxiety and made to retrieve her to safer ground but stopped, when he saw the forlorn look on the boy's face. He figured that it would be best to see this play out before he intervened; after all, the boy had been secretly hanging out within his lands for some time and more recently, within his very Citadel walls and he was curious as to why. The confession revealed much,

"Rin-chan, please do not be afraid. I mean you no harm. Do you remember what happened just now?" he implored. She shook her head in the negative, her nerves still a little on edge, but she could feel the sincerity of his words, so she remained still so he could continue. "You were almost hit by InuYasha's Windscar attack; had I not jumped in and pulled you away, you would have been…" he couldn't say anymore, too choked up by the thought of almost losing her.

The Inu Lord was stunned; the boy was in love in Rin. Why else would he risk coming out into the open, when he had evidently been trying to conceal himself for so long.

"Taijiya, you have trespassed upon these Western Lands for many a moon. Are you running from your past crimes? You _will_ answer this Sesshoumaru" he demanded, his patience wearing thin.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I have been in hiding from Naraku for some time now. When I regained my memories, Kagura urged me to leave before he found out. He undoubtedly would have killed me in an instant, in order to reclaim the Shikon shard in my back that prolongs my life. He can no longer control or use me to do his dirty deeds." his honest declaration was loud enough for all to hear.

It was his sister that broke the ensuing silence.

"Kohaku? Kohaku, you know who I am, don't you? You remember everything don't you?" a teary eyed Sango asked, as she walked closer to where he still kneeled on the ground holding Rin. She paid no attention to Sesshoumaru or InuYasha as she passed them. This was the moment she had longed for, for three years. It just had to be real.

"Ane-ue, I remember everything, that day as well" he countered, it tore his heart to be so close to his sister but he had a mission to finish, "That's why I can not be with you."

"Why not? What do you intend to do by yourself?" she screamed at him, her voice coming out hoarse and choppy.

"I intend to kill Naraku. I know that I might die in the process but at least I would have paid my debt for my part in killing father and the other village men" the brave teenager responded. He did not wish for his sister to be so broken about his decision.

The dai had heard enough to understand the importance of the young human male. He had considerable knowledge of the kumo-hanyou's whereabouts and the inner workings of his castle. He had also proven to be a strong warrior and able protector, where Rin was concerned. But it was his connection to the Inutachi that was most fascinating. He and his sister were the last of the great taijiya clan and together, they would prove to be a formidable force in the coming battles. He rolled his eyes internally, _'Yet another human that this Sesshoumaru must protect. Go ahead and laugh now father'_.

"Enough" he shouted, and everyone stilled and turned to face him. He was not one to be ignored, no matter how arrogant he was.

Miroku and Shippou had drawn closer to Sango's side in a show of support, while Kirara entwined herself around Kohaku's leg. Only InuYasha kept his distance, knowing that Sesshoumaru would not want him anywhere near Rin at the moment. He felt foolish and sick at the thought that he was once again living up to everyone's biggest complaint of him, Shippou's earlier words coming back to taunt his already frayed ego, _' I really don't know how to think things through first, before I leap to action. If Rin had been killed, it would have surely cost me my life at the hands of that puffed-up dog and I would have deserved it too'_ he mulled over silently, while said 'dog' geared up to speak.

"Boy, as repayment for your saving of my ward, this Sesshoumaru offers you shelter and the protection of the Western Citadel. You would be foolish to attempt to deal with Naraku by yourself; but perhaps it would be most beneficial if you joined our combined forces instead. You would not want Kagura's dying wish for you to be all for naught" he knew mentioning the wind witch was a bit underhanded but he was sure that it would get his point across.

"Kagura is dead?" Kohaku questioned, she had been the only kind person throughout his ordeal, even going so far as to betray both Naraku and his offspring in order to save him.

"Yes, unfortunately Kagura was killed not to long after double-crossing Hakudoshi. Naraku gave her back her heart just moments before impaling her with his miasma-infused tentacles. In the end, she gained her freedom and became a part of the wind itself" Miroku recanted the bitter ending of the only one of the kumo-hanyou's minions that was worth saving. It was not her fault that she was born of evil. He often wondered what kind of being she would have been like, had there been no connection to her maker.

Kohaku looked into the faces of the Inu Lord, then his sister, the monk and kitsune, before coming to absently turn his head back to face Rin again. He was so confused. On the one hand, if he went off on his own, he would surely die. While on the other, if he stayed, he would be closer to his love and his ane-ue. Together they were stronger, divided they would fall. So deep in his thoughts, that it took some sharp tugging from the young girl he held, on the arm that was wrapped around her waist, before he really focused on her beautiful visage.

"Rin wants you to stay Kohaku-kun", came from the mouth of babes. His decision was made.

He stood up, bringing Rin up with him. Sango took a firm hold of her, seeing that she was still a little dazed and shaky. Kohaku held her hand for a moment before stepping away and coming to kneel at the dai's feet.

"I accept your offer Sesshoumaru-sama and I hereby pledge my allegiance to you and the Western Lands". Sango lunged at him, crushing him in a long overdue hug that he tentatively returned. It would take a while before he got used to being around family and friends.

"Hnn" with a nod of approval to the boy, Sesshoumaru turned to Rin and placed a hand on top of her mussed brown head.

"Now, tell this Sesshoumaru how you managed to get yourself into this position?" he inquired of her, as calmly as he could. He was overwrought from everything that had happened in the last half hour and it was not in his nature to lose his control; although it was becoming increasingly harder and harder to maintain that façade around this group.

As if a light bulb went off in her head, Rin suddenly remembered why she had run outside in the first place. _'Kami, what will Sesshoumaru-sama think of Rin for not telling him until now?'_

"Umm, well…" she was so nervous that she couldn't look into his golden gaze,"Rin heard you and InuYasha-sama arguing and thought that maybe you didn't want him to bother Kagome-sama but then she started to twitch her nose, so Rin came to tell you that she was waking up" she finished with a flourish, a huge sigh shaking her tiny shoulders.

"Kagome's awake! Is she ok? Can we please go see her Sesshoumaru-sama?" Shippou begged, his green eyes blazing with unbridled emotion.

"Come, we will all go attend to the miko. This Sesshoumaru is sure that she will be pleased to be reunited with you all" _'Thank the kamis, she is awake'_ that familiar constriction felt like relief and joy but he would not dare show it. Instead, he gestured towards the ninomaru and the grandiose wooden doors of the main building. He paused in his steps after everyone but the hanyou had passed him, finally spinning on his heel to glare at the half-breed.

"We will finish our _argument_ after seeing to the miko's needs. You are not to upset her in any way or this Sesshoumaru will gladly have your worthless hide thrown out of the Citadel" he hissed out. It was going to be quite a headache having all of the extra 'guests' in attendance. Never in all its years had the Western Citadel hosted so many humans.

Ai had been heading back to the Lady's room, in order to bring young Rin her missed noon meal. While picking up the tray from the kitchen, she overheard gossip from another maid that their Lord had ordered the girl to sit watch over the Shikon miko while she slumbered. _'I am not surprised considering how attached she is to the miko. It was painful to separate them earlier'_ she reflected, as she traversed the main staircase that led to the family wing.

Arriving at the guarded door, she motioned for them to step aside but they adamantly refused. A look of smugness crossed both their faces, as they spoke to the flustered youkai,

"Sesshoumaru-sama instructed us to remain here and guard the two ningen but Lady Rin fled, not half an hour ago. Since your _only_ responsibility ran off, we don't have to let you in."

"Nani?!? You mean the miko is in there unsupervised. You baka uma!! Kagome-sama is an honored guest of the Western Citadel and an ally of our Lord. She was almost killed by a viper's bite and you leave her to wake up alone, in an unfamiliar futon, in an even stranger room, in a castle she has never been to before. OUT OF MY WAY!!!" she shrieked at them. In the almost two hundred years that the crane-youkai had been working at the Citadel, no one had ever heard her raise her voice to anyone for any reason. She had actually been made fun of numerous times for her too gentle countenance.

The guards lowered their heads at the verbal assault, knowing that there was no way that they could escape getting into trouble for this oversight. Ai was Lady Rin's private attendant and held higher rank than most of the other servants in the Citadel; since she was allowed personal access to the family wing and often kept Sesshoumaru-sama's counsel. There was no doubt that she would surely tell their Lord about this.

Just as she was about to lay into them again, two sets of footsteps came trampling down the hall. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. One set belonged to Misaki-san, who smelled of crushed herbs; while the other was preceded by a third hollow, thumping noise, that had to be Jaken, as he waddled along carrying the Staff of Two Heads.

"What is all this racket out here? I have very important work to do and I have no time to leave the study to come break up some minor riff between a maid and two guards" he squawked out, trying to sound way more authoritative that he actually was.

"Ai, was that your voice I heard shouting just a few minutes ago? What could possibly be wrong child?" the owl healer inquired, knowing that whatever caused such emotion from the crane, must have been quite disturbing.

"I apologize for yelling Jaken-sama, Misaki-san. I came up here to deliver Lady Rin's meal since she was told to keep watch over the Shikon miko but I have been informed that she left a half hour ago, in the direction of the main gates. These two have left the unconscious miko alone and refuse to let me in" bowing her head as she explained her earlier outburst.

Jaken's eyes almost popped out of his head when he realized that Ai had just said that InuYasha's wench was in the Lady of the West's rooms. It had to be a mistake; the dim-witted servants must have put her in the wrong room. A problem he needed to rectify before his Lord found out but first he wanted to know who was to blame.

"These rooms are for the Lady of the West and as Sesshoumaru-sama is unmated, they are to be kept sealed. Under whose authority was the stupid woman placed in there?" he questioned, _'Heads will roll for this'_, inwardly smiling as visions of upcoming praise for dealing with this breach in proper youkai protocol clouded his rational mind, so he didn't notice that all the other youkai were bowing, until he heard the voice directly behind his head and he opened his eyes.

"It was this Sesshoumaru that placed the miko within these rooms. Do you dare question your Lord's authority Jaken?" the cold baritone was unmistakable and it left the little imp shaking. He never got a chance to respond, as in the next moment he found himself in mid-flight, before coming to land awkwardly upside down at the base of the stairs.

_'My Lord hates me'_ he contemplated from his prone position.

All the shouting and noise was making her head hurt even more and she still couldn't find the energy to even pull the covers over her head. So she turned her face to the right and buried it in the soft, downy pillow. _'Ah what a dream that was… At least I am back at home, in my own time and I don't even have to wake up to go to school or anything'_ she mused. She could not remember going through the well but she must have been so tired when she did so, that all her body wanted to do was sleep – so she let it.

Outside the miko's doors, the Inutachi waited for Sesshoumaru to finish his conversation with the crane and owl-youkai. Rin, who was feeling much better, ran to her maid's side and took the food tray from her and went to take a seat on the small hangai that sat along the wall nearest the door. She was famished and was about to dig in, when she looked up and saw Shippou staring longingly at the bowls of rice and fish on her tray.

"Shippou-chan, do you want to share this with Rin? It is far too much for Rin to eat alone" it was a lie but the kit looked hungry and she could always get more food later.

The little fox-child hopped off from Miroku's shoulders and went to sit next the young girl, who shifted the tray between them so they could eat. The ever vigilant, Inu Lord did not miss the exchange, even if his focus was on the healer's words. It never ceased to amaze him how much goodwill and concern his ward exhibited. _'She is just like the miko in so many ways. Friend to all and afraid of none'_ his mind concluded, a small smirk forming on his stoic face.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, the guards have refused me entry to the Lady's rooms, even after they knowingly left the miko unattended after Lady Rin departed to go find you" Ai complained, head held high, as a sign of her discontent with the pair of horse-youkai behind her.

It was Misaki who rounded in on them, using one feathered hand to halt the Inu from interfering. The miko was _her_ patient and if anything were to happen to her, she would feel responsible, even though she had an entire Infirmary to manage. Sesshoumaru-sama had put his faith and trust in her abilities and she was not about to let two lowly guards' disrespect disrupt her patient's recovery. She sauntered up to both and grabbed each by an ear, like they were small children who had misbehaved.

"Heed my words well. The kamis put me on this earth almost two thousand ago, for one purpose - to be a healer. It is my responsibility to treat the ill and wounded, be they youkai, hanyou or human, as is the case of the onna in that room" her rant began, black deep-set eyes burrowing into the guards, as they trembled in her grasp. "She has had a rough night after using all of her reishi to treat a youkai in distress; she was then bitten by a malicious viper, which thought to have her for his next meal"

Sesshoumaru blanched and tried to hide his shock at the old owl's words _'This Sesshoumaru can not put anything pass her'_.

"If Sesshoumaru-sama had not been in the area at the right time to save her, our world would have lost the greatest miko of our time. She is the **only **one who can defeat that depraved kumo-hanyou Naraku and right the wrongs he has committed against both ningen and youkai. She is to be accorded as much respect and loyalty as you would grant Sesshoumaru-sama and apparently, you are unable to do so. I am sure our Lord will gladly relieve you of your duty, in favor of something far less dignifying until you can learn tolerance and how to keep your bias opinions to yourself. I will not have any member of the Western guard jeopardizing the health and wellbeing of anyone within my care" she finished off her tirade and her feathers were all fluffed out. For a youkai that old, she was still very feisty and extremely scary when annoyed.

The Inu Lord waited until his healer had finished berating the two guards before he dismissed them with one of his trademark glares and a wave of his hand. They sprinted down the stairs in seconds and out the doors before he could even decide their fate. It was Ai, who piped up with a very appropriate suggestion,

"They should have to go muck out the stables and tend to Ah-Un for a few days. That would knock them off their high perch for a while" she muttered, arms folded across her front in her aggravation.

Sesshoumaru looked down at her, eyebrow disappearing into his hairline and released a minute smile, which caused everyone to stare at him in awe; it was such a rarity, that it could not have been helped. He promptly stopped and went back into his regular flat scowl.

"Ai, see that Takeshi-taichou gets that order" he instructed the tsuru maid, which had her inwardly smirking.

"Hai Sesshoumaru-sama" she replied, before bowing and taking her leave to go find the Captain of the Guards. She wanted to be there when he doled out the punishment.

"Well, I think we have spent enough time out in the hallway. How about we go see about the miko? Rin, did I hear something about her twitching her nose?" the fukuro asked.

"Hai, Misaki-san. She looked like a usagi when she did it. Rin was very excited" the girl responded, clapping her hands in her glee. She had finished eating and wanted nothing more than to go see Kagome-sama.

"She does that all the time when she's trying to wake up, even though the rest of her body refuses to move" InuYasha whispered from the back of the pack, his head was still hanging low from his guilt. He had never realized that he knew such minor intimate details about his friend, until the memory suddenly popped into his head. He was still coming to terms that it was his half-brother that was there to save her and not him. He had broken his promise to her and she had gotten hurt. The reality of the situation just served to compound the guilt that had built up within him; like he had swallowed a boulder and it got heavier and heavier the more he heard.

Apparently, the rest of the Inutachi and Sesshoumaru were similarly surprised by this revelation as well. It seemed that the hanyou actually paid attention to the miko, even while she slept. _'Too little, too late'_, both Sango and Miroku thought at the same time.

Misaki pushed open the doors and was the first to arrive at Kagome's side. She methodically checked the bandages, to find that the puncture wound had closed up, leaving two silver marks in its place. The anti-venom and poultice had done its work. There was no trace of poison left in the girl's blood and her normal porcelain coloring had returned. She was still running a mild fever, probably caused from the regeneration of her reishi powers but all in all, she was healed and would be fine with additional rest.

Sango was compelled to sit as close to her friend as she could. Her heart was still so wound up from their hectic search for Kagome, Rin's almost demise and finding Kohaku that she needed to do something, anything to keep her mind occupied, fearful that she would break down again. Misaki sensed the taijiya's anxiety and extended a small rag and bowl of cold water to her, knowing that she would know what she was asking of her. The older girl took it and thanked the healer with a smile, before she began to apply the cold compress to Kagome's head.

Seeing his dear one's ministrations, Miroku plopped down on a nearby chaise, patting his good hand on the empty seat to get Kohaku's attention. The boy took the hint and sat down next to the monk. He had seen how his ane-ue and the spiritual man interacted on many occasions and wondered silently, if this was the man who would become his gikei, if they survived Naraku. Miroku however was totally at a loss as to what to say to the boy. It was probably the first time he had been rendered speechless in his adult life. So instead of having the talk that they needed to have, they sat quietly and watched Shippou and Rin play on the covered floor with Kirara.

Sesshoumaru had no wish to intrude on the tachi's reunion but when InuYasha sidled himself over to the other side of the miko's futon – the same side he had slept on earlier, he couldn't control the low growl that came out of his mouth. Misaki, Shippou and InuYasha all knew what it meant but said nothing. _'Why did this Sesshoumaru growl? The hanyou is her pack mate even if he is a brute; he has a right to be near her. He has already been warned to watch his barbed tongue but this Sesshoumaru will not leave her side just in case' _the thoughts led him to believe that he was jealous but there was no reason for the emotion and it confused him enough to make him frown. It didn't help matters any, that his youki calmed when he stepped closer to the edge of the futon and could see Kagome clearly. She looked like a fallen tenshi, her ebony locks framing her gentle face like a halo, as she lay sleeping on the white futon and covers. Her cheeks were rosy from her fever but it only served to enhance her exotic beauty. The constriction in his chest wished that she would wake up so he could drown himself in the pools of her sienna -brown eyes. He gasped at his inner thoughts _'This feeling…is this what they call love? Does this Sesshoumaru love the miko? This Sesshoumaru has never known or had need of these emotions before but they can not be denied. It was painful to think that she was almost lost. This Sesshoumaru will not act on these emotions until they are understood better. Besides the miko does not feel anything of the sort. It would be unwise to pursue them until a later date, a much later date'_. Bringing his mind to focus on the here and now, he straightened up and gazed away absently, like he was bored of the whole situation.

Misaki had seen that look before, too many times to count. She might be a wizened old youkai but she knew when she saw the look of a man who suddenly realized that he was in love and seeing Sesshoumaru-sama sport that look made her want to hoot. The miko, her humanity aside, was the perfect female for the too stodgy, bitter Lord. Misaki was even more excited for the young woman to awake, so she could find out for herself. She planned to spend some quality time with the young miko, when she had recovered enough of course. Her curiosity about how Sesshoumaru-sama regained his arm could only mean that the onna was far more powerful than she looked and she wanted to assess her strength. If it came to be that she was to be the chosen mate of her Lord, then she would need to be just as strong, not only in physical strength but mental as well.

It was a task that had been hers from generations ago; every intended mate had to pass her stringent exams or there could be no official ceremony. The last being she tested had been Mizuki-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama's mother. The only one that ever eluded her was the first ningen onna to bear a pup into the royal Inu house, Izayoi. The illegitimate product of that union now stood mere feet away from her on the other side of the futon. She had always heard rumors about the hanyou and when Rin came along and started travelling with the Lord, they turned into stories of his heroism and unfortunately, also his immaturity. It could not be helped really; he was only two hundred and three, still a mere pup in her eyes. It was obvious that the half-brothers did not get along but now they were forced to be civil because of the onna that lay on the futon that separated them. Maybe there was hope after all.

_'I hear voices all around me. Mom? Souta? Jiji? Why would they need to be in my room? It's so hot in here and its autumn too. Arrgh, did someone turn on the heater?'_ All watched as Kagome kicked the covers off; leaving her in only a simple blue yukata that bared way too much skin to the multitude of males in the room. Not that they hadn't seen her legs in the green and white sailor fuku she had worn for the first couple of years she traversed in the Feudal era, prior to finally realizing that it wasn't exactly the best attire for combat or sleeping outdoors. The damn thing had the tendency to get her abducted by the strangest of males, Naraku included.

Sango gently washed the perspiration of the girl's brow. The miko tossed and writhed on the futon like she was having a bad dream, when in actuality, she believed that she was back in the Modern era in her own bedroom. It would have been quite humorous, if she hadn't been so close to death just hours ago.

_'I need to get up and go back through the well. I have never stayed away from them for so long without telling them that I was leaving first. Sango and Shippou must be so worried about me. I wonder if InuYasha has calmed down yet and is ready to apologize…ha-ha that's a good one Kagome.'_ Her facial expressions went from worried to amused in the blink of an eye and if you looked close enough, she seemed to be laughing.

_'The miko is strange, even in her sleep'_ the daiyoukai thought, as he stood there watching her every movement.

_'What did I do last night that has me so tired? Think brain, think. Kami! I am suffering memory loss and I'm only eighteen. OK, I remember arguing with InuYasha about the arrow. More reasons to hate bats. I remember leaving camp and walking for hours, then there was the cave, and the whole thing with Sesshoumaru-sama. I wonder if he's OK. Oh hell, he's the most powerful youkai in Japan, I'm sure he's off somewhere terrorizing the world…especially now that he's got two hands again. Have to remember to ask Kaede about that one. Ummm, after that I took a cold bath…brrr!!!, then I left him in the cave and I was walking through that Irohamomiji path and I went to sleep in that tree. WAIT! I went to sleep in a tree, so how did I end up back in Tokyo? There was more in her dream, she is slapping her forehead with her palm… I remember now. I woke up screaming from a pain in my arm and then someone picked me up and carried me away. So if I am not in my bed back at the Shrine, where the hell am I?' _

With that last screeching thought, Kagome Higurashi opened her eyes and the very first thing she saw was a slightly disheveled and highly concerned appearing Inu daiyoukai looking directly at her, his hands twisted in front of him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, is all well?" she questioned, not really sure why those were her first words to him.

To say that that the dai was confused at her question, would be the understatement of the century. He couldn't reasonably put his feelings into words that he would have been comfortable saying aloud, especially not with everyone in the same room. He was overjoyed that she was awake and seemed well but he was truly floored by the fact that her first thoughts were to ask about him. How could one person be so selfless? And she was still staring at him with those soulful brown eyes of hers….a quick glance around the room and he quickly noted that _everyone_ was staring at him. She was waiting for an answer and after this day, he knew that he would never ever deny her of anything again.

"Hai Kagome. All is well…now" was his only response. A few short words that meant more to both of them then anyone else could ever imagine. And with a small nod towards her and to Misaki, he turned and walked out of the rooms. He needed to be alone and to have some time and a place to think. He took a small sniff of the tendrils of hair that blew past his nose and wrinkled it in displeasure; it smelt of dirt and his and Kagome's blood. _'I need a bath'_ he surmised and headed off to his private onsen located within his own suite of rooms.

**E/N:** There will be a 2nd part to this chapter. I would never be so cruel as to end it like that. It was just too long that it had to be cut in half.

**Translations:**

Ninomaru – secondary wall (inner circular wall of castle, usually the one that shields the main building)

Nani – what???

Baka – I shouldn't really need to tell you what this is…but it means stupid or idiot

Uma – horse Hangai – small chest used for clothing storage

Taichou – captain (any Bleach fans would know this one already)

Usagi – rabbit

Gikei – brother in law (man who marries your older sister)**A/N:** I could see why Sesshoumaru is upset at Kagome when she calls him 'onii-sama' at the end of the manga…it is quite disrespectful given his title

Tenshi– angel

**Name meanings:**

Ai – love (cranes are said to bring good luck, kind of the Japanese version of the stork)

Misaki- beauty bloom (no bearing on her character, I just like the name)

Mizuki – beautiful moon (appropriate since it is her family line that granted the crescent moon to Sesshoumaru)

Takeshi - fierce, violent 'warrior' (hence the reason he's captain of the guards)

Rin - cold, severe (obviously the child was named incorrectly because she is anything but)**

****** UPDATE: **According to http://www./female_japanese_names_, this is the meaning of our favorite little ward's name. I have also been notified multiple times that it also means 'friend' or 'companion', which is definitely better suited to her. Thanks to Bennett Wise, Suzzane and my anonymous reviewers for clarifying that.


	6. Chapter 6: New Lease on Life, Part II

_**Disclaimer**__: I own nothing but the mere sparks of imagination. Characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Media et al. Excerpts of storyline taken from the manga volumes 373 onwards. Original story idea: The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop_

_**Reference**__: Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne (and a nod to Danyealle's brilliance); Quote borrowed from Transformers (Hasbro©)_

**A/N:** After much deliberation and many wonderful words of advice and encouragement, I have decided to keep on writing past this first chapter story. I am eternally grateful for all of your support and kind words along the way.

* * *

As soon as Sesshoumaru was out the door, Sango bent over and gave Kagome the biggest hug she could manage, then proceeded to give her a piece of her mind.

"Do you have any idea how worried Miroku, Shippou and I were when you didn't come back to camp? I don't care how mad InuYasha makes you; you are NEVER to leave us in the dark like that again. You could have died if Sesshoumaru-sama did not get to you in time" her miffed speech degraded into sputtered sobs, as her head rested against Kagome's.

"Sango, all I can remember is waking up screaming. I don't recall exactly what happened to get me here" she moued, as her eyes glanced around the room. They were all there: InuYasha stood off to her right; Rin and Shippou occupied the space at the foot of the futon, where the Inu Lord had been minutes ago; Kirara had hopped onto the left side, where Sango lay, while Miroku was standing behind the children with someone who looked very much like Sango's brother…

"Kohaku?? Is that really you" she asked him, not really believing her sight.

"Hai Kagome-sama, it is me. Your eyes do not deceive you" he countered. He was happy that she had pulled through. His ane-ue's heart would not have been able to bear the loss of another loved one, especially the miko she considered a younger sister.

The only other person in the room that had yet to be accounted for looked like an elderly owl-youkai. _'All she needs are a pair of rounded glasses and she'd look just like Owl in Winnie the Pooh'_ she merrily thought, as she recalled laughing at the hooting character as a child back home. As she mused to herself, the youkai spoke up.

"It is an honor to meet you Kagome-sama. I am Misaki, the elder healer here at the Western Citadel. Sesshoumaru-sama brought you here after you were attacked and bitten by a viper-youkai. Your reishi was greatly weakened and your body too tired to properly fight it off. If you had not been administered the anti-venom in time, you had have been paralyzed and eventually died from the poison in your blood. You have been asleep for nearly eight hours but seem to be recovering just fine. I have examined you thoroughly and there are no remaining traces of venom within you; although you may need to rest another day to recoup your spent reishi. If you will please excuse me, I will take my leave now and let you converse with your friends. I will have the kitchens prepare you a meal and will also send up some Hatomugi tea to help boost your energy as well."

"Oh thank you, Misaki-san. I am forever grateful for all your help. I hope that once I recover enough, I may be allowed to come down to the Infirmary and repay the favor somehow. I am quite versed with herbs but I am sure there is still a lot I can learn from one such as you' the miko graciously stated, grabbing hold of one of Misaki's hands and shaking it in appreciation.

'_Strange onna but very humble, I like that'_ "I look forward to that Kagome-sama. I am sure that there is much for us to discuss" the healer chimed, before she bowed her feathered head and left out of the room.

They chatted amongst themselves, asking Kagome questions about what she did while she was away from them but she never revealed the whole truth. It was a promise she had no intention of breaking. InuYasha remained very quiet and reserved the entire time and it was seriously beginning to bother her. No one mentioned the incident at the gate, feeling it was neither the time nor place to do so, knowing full well how volatile the young miko's emotions could be. There was no desire to add any stress to her recovery.

* * *

After his bath, Sesshoumaru had sequestered himself in his study, trying hard to make sense of his burgeoning feelings for Kagome. Paperwork and dealing with Jaken were probably the most tedious responsibilities he had but they served no good in blocking the images of the onna from his mind. When Ai stopped by to inform him that Takeshi had issued his orders, he gave her a few more missives to deliver, this time to the miko's tachi. He knew though, that the one meant for InuYasha would please her. For too long the tsuru had harped to him about making peace with the hanyou. If it had been anyone else, he would have killed them for their disrespect; but Ai was not only a loyal servant and trusted confidant; she also frequently served as a voice of reason, especially in human related matters. He would hate to have to replace her if and when she ever mated – maybe if a mate could be found within the Citadel, then there would be no need to separate her from her charge or his service. Only problem was that all the eligible males who knew the nearly two hundred and fifty year old attendant, were terrified of her feisty temper. _'There must be at least one male brave enough to withstand her fury. She is not the submissive type, like a certain miko…Hnn. How is it that this Sesshoumaru finds himself a beacon to these spirited, strong-willed onnas?'_

When she heard her Lord's instructions, she almost embraced him but forego it instead for a smile; it would not have been wise to touch him. Eager to leave the study, lest she embarrass herself further, Ai departed to do her duties, with a grin caused by her fondness for the hanyou. For once, she was to be the bearer of good tidings. Sesshoumaru watched as her emotions played out on her face. She was too oblivious to hide them. _'This Sesshoumaru can not fathom why she thinks so highly of the boy when she only met him a few hours ago'_. He was totally unaware of exactly how much his ward Rin talked about the hanyou and how interested the attendant had become because of those tales.

He had been left alone again to think about the day's events. Of saving the miko, he had inadvertently grown to love; Of offering protection to the taijiya, out of mutual respect for his clan, more so his sister, who was an essential part of his ever increasing pack; Of sparing the hanyou's life…but why? That one troubled him the most. As the daiyoukai of the West, it was within his rights to kill the boy for almost killing someone under his protection, even if it was only an accident. The more he thought about it, the more he rationalized that he could not fault the hanyou for his actions. The boy had been concerned about the miko and he had not been forthcoming with any information that would have eased his mind – attacking as a means of protecting and defending what was thought as your own, was an instinctual Inu trait. If the tables had been turned, Sesshoumaru knew that he would have done no differently.

His half-brother had changed. His interactions with the other tachi members had accelerated the development of his mental and physical growth. While he was still prone to act like a brash, uncouth pup that jumped into any fight without thinking; he had in fact grown into his demon blood more than he realized. Lessons that he would have been thought from young had he been allowed, were instead forced to be learnt on his own, out in the real world. The matter of his inner strength, the power of his youki, even as a hanyou, was astonishing to watch, even if he did not possess the same grace that his full-blooded brother exhibited. There could be no question as to whose son he was. Maybe it was time to accept that they were indeed brothers and move past the juvenile threats and tedious posturing. _'If this Sesshoumaru did not know any better, one would think that I was following in our father's footsteps. Oh how the mighty have fallen.' _

* * *

Time crawled back in the Lady's rooms until there was a knock at the door and the crane-youkai entered with a food tray in her hands. There was something familiar about her, even though Kagome was sure that she had never met her before. The realization suddenly came to her and she blurted out,

"You're Ai, Rin's personal attendant aren't you?" the question shocked the poor youkai so much that she almost dropped the tray, had it not been for Miroku catching it before it could topple to the floor.

"Ah...Hai Miko-sama. I am Ai. How did you know?" she stammered out.

"Our Rin here talks about you all the time. From the moment you came through the door, I knew it had to be you. I am so glad to finally meet you. And by the way call me, Kagome please" Kagome was so excited to meet the other onna in Rin's life. Ai was much more than a maid; she was a nanny and the closest thing to a mother that the little girl had here at the Citadel. "If its ok with you, I would like to give you a hug" she continued, receiving a look of shock from the other woman.

"I do not why I would be deserving of such an honor but I have no problem with it" she acquiesced, as she stepped closer to the futon within the miko's reach, who promptly sat up and wrapped her arms around the crane's upper body. It only took a moment before the action was reciprocated.

"I am thankful that Rin has someone as loving as you to take care of her when I cannot be with her" Kagome whispered to Ai. When Rin heard her name and saw her two caretakers hugging each other, she squealed in delight and raced around the futon to embrace them both. It was quite a sight, the three of them holding each other.

When Ai pulled away, she had a small blush on her cheeks. _'This onna is an amazing creature; no wonder Lady Rin adores her so. It is so easy to accept her. No one has ever hugged me like that except for milady.'_ She was happier than she had been in ages and knew it was because of the miko. Then she remembered the hot food and the messages from her Lord that she was supposed to relay. She turned to take the tray from Miroku and he courteously handed it over, along with a smile. _'Her friends are all so amiable…well except for InuYasha-sama. He has not stopped moping since he got inside. Can't say I blame him though. I do hope he cheers up, he's very attractive for a hanyou'_. She placed the tray onto Kagome's lap and stood back before addressing the tachi.

"Sesshoumaru-sama has generously offered rooms for your stay here at the Citadel. He realizes that you would not want to leave until Kagome-sama has recuperated totally. I am to show you to the guest quarters and to the baths. Lady Rin will retrieve you for dinner in a few hours, so that you have a chance to clean up and rest before then."

She turned to head for the doors but stopped when she remembered the other parts of the message.

"Forgive me; there was more to the message. Umm, which one of you is Kohaku?" she inquired, looking between the two ningen males.

"I am Ai-san" the male taijiya responded, wondering why he had been singled out.

"Kohaku, I am to bring you to your room at the family-staff quarters. You have been assigned as Lady Rin's personal guard, and will be expected to train with the other guards in the Barracks, as well as attend lessons with the tutors. Sesshoumaru-sama said that as long as you are under his protection that he will extend the same benefits to you as he does with his ward, without disavowing the need for your continued taijiya training. That is quite an honor and a responsibility for one so young" the boy looked so meek but she had already been told the whole story by her Lord, including the part about his apparent infatuation for the young girl and it left her to speculate exactly what her Lord was up to. Not like she would ever ask him.

Everyone was shocked. This did not sound like the cold hearted Inu daiyoukai they had fought countless times in the past. Why was he being so nice? All Kohaku could do was bow in acceptance of her communiqué, he would have to thank Sesshoumaru-sama himself personally, perhaps at dinner.

The last part of the message almost gave them all heart failure. Ai turned her slender neck and looked over at the hanyou, before taking a few small steps and bowing to him.

"InuYasha-sama, your room has been prepared in the family wing as ordered by Sesshoumaru-sama. It is an honor to finally meet you in person after hearing such marvelous tales of your valor from Lady Rin. You certainly have lived up to Inu-no-Taisho's expectations. He would have been proud to call you son" she was tearing up thinking about the day that they were told that the Great Dog General had died protecting his newborn pup. Said pup was more like his father than he knew and she was pleased to see her new Lord trying to be so accommodating to his hanyou half-brother; even if it was only through the duration of Kagome-sama's stay.

"My room? Family wing? You must be joking right, that bastard would faster throw me into the kennels than let me stay within smelling distance of him" he groused, some small part of him secretly wishing that it was true knowing that Sesshoumaru never lied. It was Rin who confirmed the truth.

"Oh InuYasha-sama, you say the silliest things. Your room has always been right next to mine but since you never came to visit, no one has ever gone inside. Rin tried to sneak in once but Sesshoumaru-sama caught me before Rin got through the door and told me how that room was to remain empty and untouched until its owner claimed it. If Rin had known it was yours, Rin would have tried to make you come to the Citadel much sooner. Come! Rin will take you there" she was so excited to finally unravel the mystery of the secret owner of the room. The young girl leaned over to hug Kagome again before telling her that she would come visit again before her bedtime and proceeded to haul the obstinate hanyou out the door and across the hall to his room.

Shippou repeated the gentle gesture. He was just so happy that she was alive and safe and would let her rest until tomorrow, after he had a chance to eat, bathe and sleep. Miroku came over and gave her a gentle peck on the forehead, before helping Sango off the futon. Kohaku, who had picked up Kirara during Ai's comments to InuYasha, felt somewhat awkward around Kagome, knowing that he had wronged her in the past. So he didn't expect her to reach up and hug him tightly before telling him,

"I am just so happy that you are here. I can tell that something is different but we will have time to talk later. I know Sango can finally rest easy knowing that you are safe and that you will be protected by Sesshoumaru-sama."

"And another thing, when we sit down to chat, you have to tell me all about what's the deal with you and Rin" she teased him; making him go three shades redder than any male ought to.

She let go of him and scratched Kirara's furry head for good measure before crawling back under the covers and picking up the forgotten tray. After all of that, she could have eaten her weight and still be hungry. She watched her friends walk out of the room with Ai, their faces looking slightly more optimistic than she had seen them in a while. If they were happy, she was happy. Right???

* * *

Finally all alone in the lavish but tastefully decorated room, Kagome felt the urge to get up and test her legs. They still felt a little like jelly but her restlessness demanded that she move. Lifting the covers off of her and swinging her feet over the edge of the futon, on the side closer to the inviting balcony doors, she awkwardly stood up. It felt like she had been struck by millions of pins and needles and she took a moment to steady herself, by placing a hand on one of the four-posts to aid her. As she was about to step away from the futon, her eyes landed on the silver scar on her left wrist. _'This is where I got bitten; Misaki-san's healing abilities are quite powerful to have it mend so quickly. Of course, I guess it helps to be a miko as well'_ she pondered as she remembered the elderly healer. _'Sesshoumaru-sama has such wonderful and caring youkai working for him'_.

She needed some fresh air, and eventually managed to shuffle out to the balcony and seated herself in one of the chairs out there. The view from where she sat was breathtaking. Her suite overlooked the Citadel's gardens, which were full of autumn flowers and russet hued trees. _'I am sure that this is Rin's favorite part of the grounds'_ It was bright and colorful just the little girl.

There were Western guards patrolling along the ninomaru but they paid her no attention as they continued their duties. No one else was around that could hear her as she allowed herself to think out aloud.

"What kind of mess have I gotten myself into now? All I wanted was to take a break from InuYasha and I wind up having to heal Sesshoumaru, who then ends up having to rescue me from certain death. Now I am here in his Citadel, recovering in what looks like the Lady's rooms" she continued talking as she turned her head around to peer into the room behind her, noting the subdued extravagance of it.

"Oh hell, if these are the Lady's rooms, then that means that Sesshoumaru's are right next door" she exclaimed rather loudly before jumping out of her seat. Her heart was beating a mighty staccato in her chest.

"I need some water and an aspirin. All of this thinking is giving me a headache" she balked, as she walked back into the room.

Not even a few steps away, near the chaise, lay her trusty yellow backpack. She sat down and reached over to rummage through it. Unable to find what she was looking for, she picked it up and plopped it onto her lap, so she could stick her head in. The lingering aura of youki assailed her but it was the smell of her own blood on it that had her head reeling. She almost dropped it back onto the floor before she picked up another aura; it was stronger than the other one and more prevalent near the straps and back of the pack.

'_This can only be Sesshoumaru. He carried my pack after he saved me from the viper'_ she mused, totally forgetting about her earlier nausea. She held the abused bag closer to her, as she tried to envision the great Inu Lord with the yellow monstrosity on his shoulder and her in his arms. _'There is so much about him I do not know and can not even begin to understand. And why is he suddenly protecting Kohaku and being nice to our group especially InuYasha? And he called me KAGOME. He's never used my name before'_ her mind was in constant motion as her hands continued their search for the elusive bottle of pills.

"Found you" as she pulled the bottle out. "Now, water". Her eyes glancing around until she spotted a pitcher and cup sitting on one of her nightstands.

She left the bag on the chaise and walked back over to the futon. After popping a couple of the white pills and taking a drink, she crawled back under the covers, hoping that the drugs would ease the frustrations and confusion in her mind. Within minutes, she drifted back into the land of dreams, a certain silver-haired daiyoukai invading her every thought.

* * *

Across the hallway, the inu-hanyou stood in front of the sealed shoji door that Rin had dragged him to. He was still sure that this was just an elaborate joke, until he slid it open and saw the pristine room. There were remnants of hundreds year old ofudas on the inside of the door that clearly spelled out that 'Only the second child of Inu-no-Taisho will be able to break the seal that would welcome them into their room'. _'The old man had been looking out for me after all. He was planning to bring me back to live here at the Citadel'_ the insight weakened him and he struggled to maintain his composure. Rin was still standing right behind him in the doorway; looking eager to be invited into the long locked-away suite. The remorse from the incident at the gate earlier made him want to retch. He was brought out of his self-loathing by her lilting voice.

"InuYasha-sama, if these are your rooms and Sesshoumaru-sama is your aniki; does that make you Rin's ojiki? Rin has always wanted a big family. Before Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin was all alone after her oka-san died." She informed the man standing in front of her. She always thought he was funny and brave but she never understood why he always picked fights with her Lord.

"Didn't you have a father?" he asked her, still uncertain as how to answer her question about him being her uncle.

"Rin does not remember her chichi-ue. Oka-san told Rin once that he died while trying to protect the village when Rin was very little. Rin cannot miss someone that Rin does not know. Besides Rin has her Sesshoumaru-sama and Ai-chan and Jaken-sama and Kagome-sama and Kohaku-kun and now you InuYasha-oji" there was no sadness in her voice as she explained how alike they really were – orphaned early in life and never knowing the father that had done so much to protect them. She beamed brightly as she rattled off all her custodians, never realizing that they were not really the 'big happy family' she envisioned in her head.

Bile was building up in his gut as he listened to her. _'She is so optimistic and naïve but her heart is immeasurable just like Kagome. Up to this point, I have treated her quite unjustly, while she looks at me as an uncle, as part of her family. My annoyance with Sesshoumaru should not extend to her. I can't blame her if he's an ass but then again he's allowed me to regain another part of my birthright that I was not even aware of. Kagome constantly told me that 'there's more than meets the eye' when it came to him but I have always been so distrusting of him, even after the truce. I've shielded myself from everyone because I thought I was alone and that no one understood me. Look at where that got Kagome and Rin. I hope that they can both forgive me; I would not want to lose my best friend or my… mei'_ hope swelled in his heart as he silently resolved to become a better person, not only for himself but for the friends he called family and for the family he never thought he had. It would be hard but it was worth it.

Bending down to one knee in front of her, he took one of her hands within his own and placed his other over his heart, like Souta had shown him once. It was some kind of modern human ritual when making a solemn pledge to another. Her face contorted into a look of confusion, while his held a look of impassioned determination. He would make things right again and he would start with her. He mumbled a bit before he could find the appropriate words, to which she thought hilarious and had her giggling. It was the opening he needed.

"Rin, I know I ain't always been nice to you. I kind of lumped you in with Sesshoumaru, and that's wrong because you and he are not the same being. I want to apologize for that and especially for what happened earlier. I didn't know you were there when I attacked with the Wind Scar. I never meant to hurt you, I was just angry at him and at myself because of what happened to Kagome. I hope you can forgive me and I don't mind if you want to call me ojiki, mei."

The little girl smiled so big that it brought tears to his eyes. In classic Rin form, she pulled her hand away and wrapped her arms around him so hard and fast that they both tumbled to the ground. He sat back up with his legs crossed Indian-style and brought her to sit in his lap, returning the embrace without much hesitation.

"InuYasha-oji, of course Rin forgives you. Rin knows that you were worried about Kagome-sama, that's why Rin ran outside in the first place. It was Rin's fault for standing so close but Rin wishes that you and her Lord would not fight so much anymore. It does not make anything better or anyone happy" she merrily chirped becoming serious at the end.

After that she got up to go check up on Shippou and Kirara, secretly hoping that she would run into Kohaku as well, even though his room was on the other side of the Citadel. _'Rin might have to take the long way around'_ she schemed as she ran out the door and down the hallway.

InuYasha was left with too many thoughts to think clearly but his heart felt lightened of an emotional burden and it made him feel somewhat calm for a change. He was still sitting on the floor, when he heard a small cough coming from the open doorway, which made him jump up at full alert, one handing resting on the hilt of Tetsusaiga. The person was standing in the waning light, so all he could make out was a silhouette, until he used his nose.

It was Ai, on her way back from Kohaku's room, and in search of her missing charge, who had last been seen with InuYasha, which is how she found herself now standing in his open doorway, trying hard not to laugh at the sight of him sitting on the floor in seemingly deep thought. He looked so much like his father and his half human side only helped to soften his features in a good way. It was the two furry, white puppy ears on the top of his head that she yearned to touch. They were twitching like crazy from his agitation at being interrupted.

"InuYasha-sama I apologize for disturbing you, I was looking for Lady Rin. I see now that she is no longer with you. Pardon my intrusion" she bowed to him as she spoke, so she never saw the way his eyes followed her body's fluid movements.

The tsuru-youkai was very pleasing on the eyes. She had a small patch of red hair on the crown of her head that billowed out into a long cascade of the straightest black hair he had ever seen on any onna; the very ends were tipped in white. _'Yura would have loved to get a hold of that'_ he snickered internally as he took in the rest of her. Her black eyes were rimmed in the same red as her hair and she had a long slender nose, instead of a beak, that rested above a rather expressive, thin-lipped mouth. She was dressed in a white and black kimono that had the Western Land's emblem of red sakura blossoms emblazoned on the sleeves. There were more blossoms at the top of the kimono, which only served to further highlight her long slender neck. Her height was above average for onnas but that probably had to do with her species. He was sure that she had long, strong legs under the clothing that matched the well-formed feathered wings that ended with her two graceful and petite hands.

She was undoubtedly very trusted, seeing as though she was Rin's personal attendant and her unfiltered dialogue with Sesshoumaru meant that she also ranked very high in his confidence. She carried herself with much nobility but she also had a wicked temper, when other's talked down to her. He remembered something that Mama Higurashi had once said to Souta about onnas in general, _'It's always the quiet ones that you have to watch out for'_. Kagome's mother must have been referring to someone like Ai. She had trouble written all over her face and for the first time, since Kikyou's death, he was curious to find out exactly how much. He felt stupid trying to make idle conversation with the youkai that he had only met a few hours ago, but he gave it an honest try.

"Ai, Rin ran off to play with Shippou before dinner. You just missed her. And I was never much for titles or formalities; it's kind of wasted on someone like me, besides it's not like I'm some Lord or anything – just another bastard hanyou".

His words hit a sensitive nerve within her. For as much as she admired Sesshoumaru-sama's intelligence and strategic mind, it was always the unappreciated half-brother she covertly rooted for. While her Lord was raised with a proverbial 'silver spoon', InuYasha had to learn at an early age to fend for himself against ningens and youkai alike. There was much gossip in the Citadel during the fifty years that he had been pinned to the Sacred Tree, about how Sesshoumaru tried in vain to break the spell and when no solution could be found, the Inu Lord had ensured the safety of the general area so that no one could harm the sleeping hanyou. She could understand why InuYasha exhibited so much reticence about etiquette and protocol – it was not something he was accustomed to. But for him to stand in front of her and call himself a 'bastard hanyou' and act like he was insignificant, she would have none of it. She stood up straight, stretching her neck out as she stomped up to him, coming to a halt mere inches from his shocked face. _'I guess he's never seen a pissed off bird' _she thought, as her wing feathers fluffed out.

"With all due respect, INUYASHA, I know you think that just because you are a hanyou that you think that it's all right for you to deem yourself inconsequential but let me tell you something. You are the second son of the Great Dog General, a youkai I looked up to as a child. When he passed, we were all very upset, most were annoyed due to the nature of his demise but there were some, myself included, that saw his sacrifice as the noblest thing he could have ever done for you and your mother. I am sorry that you lost her at such an early age, and I am sorry that you had to live on your own, feeling abandoned but what you don't know is that when you got pinned to that tree by your miko-lover, your _brother_ searched high and low for a way to save you and when he couldn't he made sure that the forest that bears your name stay protected. He was looking after you even then, even though Youkai law prohibits him and everyone within these lands from recognizing you for who you really are. No matter if you like or not, you ARE a Lord, InuYasha-_sama_ so just shut up and deal with it. And another thing, you have wonderful, caring friends who appreciate you just the way you are, so why do you insist on constantly sticking your foot in your mouth and acting so immature and irrational, all you end up doing is hurting them and yourself – BAKA INU!!!" she completed her rant and turned to walk out of the room.

She did not want him to see how flushed her face had gotten or the tears that had welled up in her eyes. _'I called him stupid, look at me…crying over him. Who's the stupid one now?'_ Her feet and thoughts abruptly stopped short when he grabbed one of her wrists.

"InuYasha-sama, I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me" she beseeched, through her silent tears, her back still to him. She did not want him to be angry at her.

"No Ai, it's me who should be apologizing. I feel like that's all I've been doing since I got here. You only spoke your mind and I value that more than pretty words. Look I'm not very good at expressing myself and can be a little cynical but it's because I am not used to anyone being nice to me. Can we put this behind us and start over? I would like it if we became friends" he posed to her, still holding her one hand, while he absentmindedly scratched the back of his head with his other, _'Why are these things so hard to do?'_

"Hai, InuYasha-sama, I would like that very much" she replied to him, still not wanting to turn and look at him in her embarrassed state. She didn't need to because he was in front of her in seconds. He held her small hand tightly before speaking,

"Well it seems that I have more apologies to make before this day is through and this one has been a long time coming. If I survive this one, then maybe I'll try to talk to his _highness_ before dinner. Thank you for being so brutally honest with me, Ai-chan. I hope to see you again soon" and with that he let go of her and walked out, heading back over to the Lady's rooms.

"I am sure you have nothing to fear from Kagome-sama" Ai called out to him after noticing his intended destination. _'Kagome-sama wouldn't hurt a fly'_, she idly thought.

"Keh, you obviously don't know her well enough yet but she's my best friend and I let her down. If you hear any loud thumps, that's just me getting face-planted to the floor. Must be why I like you, you're both mean tempered wenches with big hearts" he responded, totally unaware of what he just said.

'_He likes me'_ she cooed, before closing his door behind her and returning to her search for the elusive Lady Rin.

* * *

InuYasha stood in front of the door that led to Kagome's room, trying to figure out exactly when he became such a jerk to his miko friend. In the beginning, it was because he truly was an unsociable half-breed, who had never had a friend in his whole life. He might have loved Kikyou but they never had the level of understanding and acceptance that he shared with Kagome. Recanting his memories of journeys past, he finally pinpointed his altered attitude to the demise of his first love after their battle with Naraku at Mt. Hakurei. Kagome had tried her best to heal the older onna but Kikyou's clay body just could not deal with the excesses of miasma and physical damage that it had incurred and she was lost to him again. He understood now that while he blamed Naraku, he took it out on the person closest to him – Kagome.

He promised her that he would always protect her and he had failed, both physically and mentally. She had every right to hate him, to want to give up on their friendship just like she had given up on her love for him. As far as she thought, she was just his 'Shard Detector', which was totally untrue, but he knew he never said anything to refute it. She deserved so much better. He put his ear to the door and heard her soft breathing, telling him that she was asleep again. He would sit watch over her and wait for his chance to make amends for all that he wronged her, praying that she still cared enough to forgive him. As quietly as he could, he crept into the room, closing the door behind him and made his way to the pile of cushions near the head of the futon.

Kagome was having the oddest dream about fluffy white clouds and golden sunlight, the warmth caressing her skin. _'When I feel asleep it was almost sunset though, it doesn't matter - it's my dream'_. She was beginning to settle into her fantasy when the futon suddenly dipped, forcing her to open her eyes. InuYasha's head and arm rested haphazardly against the mattress as he dozed. The tired hanyou had fallen asleep while watching her rest. Her heart went out to him and as much as he probably needed the sleep, they _needed_ to talk more. Gently placing a hand on the top of his head, she carefully tweaked one of his adorable puppy ears.

"Rise and shine sleepy head" she called out to him.

His ears twitched at the soft sound before his amber eyes opened to see her lying on her side, one hand playing with his ear. Oh how he loved it when she did that. It never failed to send shivers down his spine. She had a wistful smile on her face but her eyes spoke of more solemn thoughts. Whatever she had to say to him, he'd take it without complaining or arguing. When she still hadn't said anything after a couple of minutes, he mustered the will to go first.

"You feel better?"

"Mmmm, I'm ok, just a little run down. I know I was only unconscious for eight hours but my limbs feel like I haven't moved in ages. Are you ok though? You weren't acting like yourself earlier. Is it because of me or did something else happen that you're not telling me?" her thoughts and questions came rapid fire out of her mouth.

Even after everything she had been through, she still sounded like the same old Kagome and it made his heart clench. In the blink of an eye, he had her crushed against his chest, completely wrapped in his arms. Neither said a word but before long the raspy sound of his tears and labored breathing against her ebony hair could be heard.

"InuYasha?" she questioned, speculating the reasons behind his sudden outburst of raw emotion. The hanyou rarely cried.

He pulled away and looked into her eyes, seeing the love and understanding that she always shared with him, marred by her unexpected confusion. Taking a deep breath, he plunged in.

"I don't deserve you for a friend. I've hurt and failed you too many times to count now. I'm a dumb ass and I've been taking out my aggression and frustration on the one person who didn't deserve it. You're the most important person in my life and I almost lost you today because I pissed you off so much that you felt it necessary to leave me, leave us. If you want to stop being my friend, I'll understand and deal with it" his head buried so low at the end, his chin was nearly touching his chest, his entire face hidden by the cascade of his white hair.

His declaration left her speechless. The stirrings of old feelings of a love than was never meant to be invaded her already troubled heart. No matter what he did or said, he was still InuYasha and she too had made a promise to him – to always be at his side. Through thick or thin, he was her best friend and she would never leave him feeling so wounded and alone.

"InuYasha, I forgive you. I did not long after I left camp. What happened to me was not your fault? I was tired and I was careless. I would have never survived these last three years if you had not been there to always protect me. I admit that you have been a bit difficult to live with since Kikyou died and have been a real jerk to me and the others but I understand. I know you're hurting and that you don't know how else to vent your frustrations. I would never leave you or stop being your friend – this is who you are and I love you for you. Of course, if you could learn to control your temper, I think we'd all be happy about that."

She hugged him again and then pushed away, sensing that there was more that he needed to get off his chest. Now was definitely the right time to finally air all this 'bad blood' between them; it's not like she could go anywhere for a while and they were alone. She cocked her eyebrow at him to give him a sign to continue, not realizing that it almost perfectly mimicked the Inu Lord. InuYasha however, did notice it.

"There's something else…umm, when we got to the glade where you had been attacked and I recognized Sesshoumaru's scent, I kind of flipped out when we thought he abducted you" he began

"What?!? He didn't kidnap me…Huh, what do you mean you flipped out? What did you do InuYasha?" she screeched at him, making his ears flatten to his head.

"Oi, no screaming wench. I know now he didn't kidnap you. But then, we were all tired and worried about you and seeing all the bodies and blood, well the last thing I wanted to smell was your scent mixed in with his and I snapped. I left Sango and the others behind and I raced over here, knowing that this would be where he would take you. I don't know how I knew that, I just did. He probably saved you because I think he likes you or something."

"InuYasha, Sesshoumaru does _not _like me. I don't really know why he rescued me. I haven't had a chance to ask him or properly thank him as yet" _'He likes me? As if! What craziness is this baka on about?'_ she was a little perturbed by her friend's comment, not because he said it but because of what it implied.

"Anyways, when I got here, the Ice Prince was already at the outer gate waiting for me. Let me tell you, he looked off, like something was troubling him and there was actually blood and grime on his clothes; but he still acted like the prick he is. When I told him I came for you and he refused, we started to fight and in my anger I released the Wind Scar at him. He dodged it but Rin was standing right behind him. I almost killed her Kagome" he dropped his head again, afraid to look her in the eyes.

"Oh Kami, Was she hurt? You didn't hit her with it, did you? I swear InuYasha, do you ever pay attention to your surroundings when you fight or are you always so blinded by rage that you just don't care" she was angry now and her weakened miko powers were fluctuating with her worsening mood, a crackling pink glow surrounding her.

"No, you saw her. She's fine. Kohaku jumped in from out of nowhere and saved her at the last minute. I felt like shit all day because of what happened. I apologized to her already. Funny thing, she reminds me so much of you – she said it was ok and that she knew I was just worried about you and that it wasn't my fault. You know she asked me if she could call me her ojiki" he placated her as best he could. He knew she treated the girl like a little sister and that this would upset her but it was better he tell her, than she find out from anyone else, especially Sesshoumaru.

"What was Kohaku doing near the Western Citadel? Is that why Sesshoumaru offered him protection? Wait, I'm confused" she asked, shaking her head to clear her jumbled mind.

"Kagome I guess you were too out of it to notice it earlier but Kohaku's regained his memories…all of them. He and Sango had a big blowout outside when he told her that he was going to go kill Naraku on his own. That's when Sesshoumaru stepped in and made him a deal – protection and shelter in exchange for information about the spider's whereabouts and allies. As for what he was doing here, I think it has to do with the fact that he has feelings for Rin."

"Ha, I knew it! I knew something was up when I saw how he was looking at her and how she kept smiling at him, like no one would notice. I think it's adorable, even if they are a little young to get serious. I don't care if this is the Feudal Era, she's only twelve." Joy bloomed in her heart for her young friends, although she wondered silently if and when she would ever experience it herself.

InuYasha could only be amazed at the woman beside him. Just minutes ago, he could have sworn that he was going to have to deal with her wrath and now, she was laughing and smiling. There really was no one else like her. She wasn't fooling him though, she was keeping something from him, something that had to do with his half-brother and it bugged the hell out of him that she probably wouldn't tell him, even if he threatened her. But he had to ask.

"So what's really going on with you and Sesshoumaru? He couldn't keep his eyes off of you while you were sleeping and then you wake up and ask him that ridiculous question that he actually answered and he called you Kagome. That's just way too many coincidences. If I didn't know any better, I'd have said that he was just as concerned about you as we were, especially seeing as how he put you in the Lady's rooms right next to his."

"There's nothing going on between us. I know as much as you do. Hell if I know why he's being so…uncharacteristic. Who really knows what he's thinking from one minute to the next. I'm just an ally, nothing more" she groused. Why did she have to defend herself about Sesshoumaru?

"Feh, its ok you know. I'm beginning to think that you were right about him all along. I still don't like him but he is my half-brother and the only true blood family I have left in this world. Maybe it's time I tried to…what's the term? Oh yeah, 'bury the hatchet' and at least try to put up with him"

"Wow, InuYasha, that's really mature of you. What brought that about?" she felt so proud of him for trying to be the 'bigger' man. Would Sesshoumaru return the gesture?

"Whatever, but my mei asked me not me not to fight with my aniki anymore and I think I owe it to her and to you to try."

They sat and talked and laughed and when he asked her how come she didn't SIT him, she replied that she didn't want to ruin the floors. Only Kagome could say something as bizarre as that and be totally serious. After a couple hours, he left her to the capable hands of Misaki, who had come to bring her patient her dinner, as well as check up on her progress.

* * *

InuYasha met up with the others as they were being led to the dining hall by Rin, he was just following the scent of food, his stomach grumbling after not eating for almost a day. Sango, Miroku and Shippou all looked rested and each had enjoyed a long soaking bath before dressing in the clothing that had been presented to them by the Citadel servants that had taken them under their care. It was kind of like being in a resort, getting pampered and being able to relax without the fear of always being attacked.

When they entered the dining room, they were escorted to the long table in the middle of the room, each person shown to their seat. The low rectangular table was large enough to seat twelve in a squeeze, so there was plenty of room with space to spare for the four humans, hanyou and demon kit. Kirara had been fed in the room she shared with Sango. It was Miroku, ever the diplomat who noticed their careful placement.

The head of the table sat empty, awaiting the master of the Citadel. To his left the first seat mirrored his own vacant one, it would be the seat his mate would have, if he had one. Next to that, sat Rin, then Kohaku with Shippou rounding out the end. The far end, opposite the Lord's was unprepared as was the seat across from Shippou. Sango faced her brother from the right side of the table, with Miroku at her left arm, while InuYasha had the honor of sitting closest to the head's right.

There was strategy in this arrangement but the monk couldn't quite figure it out and was about to ask Sango her thoughts on it, when Sesshoumaru strolled into the room. They all stood and gave him a low bow before he sat and nodded for them to sit as well. It was Kohaku who suppressed his own fear and spoke up first.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, if I may?" he began, the Inu looked at him as if to say go on, so he continued, "I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generosity and hospitality".

"Yes, I would like to second that as well" Sango chimed, too shy to look at the intimidating Lord directly in the face.

"Hnn. This Sesshoumaru takes it your accommodations are acceptable then. Kohaku, there is no need for thanks, did you not pledge your fealty to this Sesshoumaru outside at the gate? As long as you perform your duties to the best of your ability and assist in our mission, that would be gratitude enough. Sango, you have proven time and again to be a most worthy ally, so think of this as a means of furthering our pact." It was perhaps the longest conversation Sesshoumaru had ever had with any of them and even he was a little shocked by it.

Turning to face InuYasha, Sesshoumaru sniffed the air and found that the hanyou was covered in Kagome's soothing scent. It made want to growl but he withheld, choosing instead to question his sibling.

"The miko is well?" he inquired

"Yeah, she's better but restless. She can't stand having to lay in bed all day and now that she's awake she hates having no one to talk to" he responded, as if he were talking to a friend and not the youkai he thought he hated most in life.

"She needs her rest. You are all undoubtedly tired from your travels and should also retire early. There is one other matter though…" but was cut off by the determined look on InuYasha's face, "What is it?" annoyed to have been interrupted.

"I want to; no I need to thank you for all of us for saving Kagome and for not seeking retribution for the other thing. I have apologized to Rin and she has forgiven me, Kagome has as well but I need to apologize to you as well. If it had not been for you, we would all be mourning the loss of our most treasured one and I had no right to accuse you of otherwise" InuYasha entreated to his aniki.

Mouths dropped open; dishes came crashing to the floor. You could have heard a pin drop; it was so quiet in there.

"This Sesshoumaru accepts your apology and thinks that maybe it is time that we try to be civil with each other, it is what our father would have wanted. We shall discuss this further at a later date and time. For now, everyone please enjoy your meal. Excuse me" and he got up and left the room in a swish of silk, leaving his dinner guests in surprise.

Who was that and where was the real Sesshoumaru, were the questions on everyone's minds except for Rin, who snickered in her seat. _'Finally'._

* * *

The daiyoukai had never been this distracted in his entire life. It felt like the kamis were just playing games with his normally stable mind and the heart he once claimed was cold. As he paced in his room, thinking about InuYasha's act of contrition and his own informal banter at the dinner table, the only explanation he could come up with that it is all Kagome's doing. Somehow, someway, the little miko had gotten too every single one of them, Ai included. He was bewildered and felt lost and the only person who could clarify anything was the same person who was causing all of the conflicting thoughts and feelings in the first place.

In what felt like hours, but in actuality was only about forty-five minutes, he heard footsteps approaching the Lady's rooms. Scent alone told him that it was Rin. Dinner must have just concluded, even after his dramatic departure, with the rest of the tachi following his advice to seek out peaceful rest. Families had been reconnected on this day, new bonds forged but there was still the nagging need to converse with the onna who united them all. Seeing no other way to find peace unless he got this over with, he silently slipped through the hidden connecting door between the two suites just as his ward was exiting through the main door. There was no need for anyone else to know that he was visiting her quarters this late at night.

The onna was not laying on the futon as he thought she would be, but was instead sitting out on the balcony, evidently enjoying the unseasonable balmy autumn air. Her porcelain skin glowed in the moonlight but her scent seemed uneasy, troubled even. He knew that she was aware of his presence, as her aura flowed up around her in defense of his own overwhelming one. It was not like her to be so quiet, a trait that long annoyed him; but something that made her distinctive none the less. As he watched her stare out into the vast nothingness of the night, silently wondering what thoughts consumed her mind, she spoke up, without moving.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, there are not enough words that can properly express what I am feeling right now. Nothing I can think of seems appropriate for the magnitude of this situation."

"Try." one small word that expressed the enormity of his desire to hear her sweet voice again. He could hear her excited heartbeat and the soft sigh that escaped her at his response.

"OK. I am perplexed and bothered and there are more questions than answers or explanations. I don't know what the heck is going on anymore and I am still too tired to try and figure it out on my own. Please." she sounded completely exasperated and knew that if she continued that she would only be rambling and that would get her nowhere fast.

The miko was nervous, of what he didn't know but he didn't like seeing her this way. He knew the questions that were left unsaid and knew that he would have to be completely honest with her, if she was ever going to feel at ease again. He was well aware that his next words would forever change his life, the way he lived it and quite possibly and hopefully who he lived it with, so he took a calming breath and began.

"Miko…Kagome, this Sesshoumaru understands your frustration as it affects me as well. If anyone had told me a week ago, that the Western lands could have fallen from a spiritual arrow, they would have been killed on the spot. Luckily that was not meant to be, as the kamis set us on the same path and because of that, this Sesshoumaru was not only saved but restored. The assessment of your strength and power has been greatly underestimated by this one and for that I humbly apologize. Your importance in this time is unparalleled both because of the level of loyalty and devotion you have for your friends and allies and because your very existence brings about such remarkable changes in the lives that you touch; none can escape the tendrils of your heart, including this Sesshoumaru. Where once my heart lay frozen in my chest; now it blooms with emotion that is still unknown to me."

He moved to sit next to her, but chose instead to pull her into his lap. She didn't fight it and wrapped her good arm around his back as he held her. With her head lying against his chest, she could hear the strong thrumming of his heart as he rubbed his cheek alongside the top of her head. His words were like poetry and she was enraptured from being held in his strong arms, willing for him to continue.

"When this Sesshoumaru awoke this morning and saw you gone from the cave, I thought nothing of it, until I realized that you had not only healed my mortal wound but my lost arm as well. Whether it was a conscious decision or not, you have made me whole again and that is a debt that cannot be repaid. Had it been known that such an undertaking would have drained you as it did, it would have never been allowed. Nor would have you have been permitted to leave the safety of the cave. Your selflessness nearly cost you your life and it is my fault that you ended up that condition. In my search for you, I came across those wretched creatures and in an instant knew that you were in grave peril. Unfortunately I was but a mere moment too late and you were attacked anyway. And this Sesshoumaru has never known fear until you were almost lost to me. A life saved and yet so much more. When the hanyou arrived to retrieve you, I refused. You are mine to protect now and for however long you will let me."

Kagome could not hold back the tears. The most powerful and deadly and beautiful youkai in all of Japan wanted to be with her and she did not need to think twice about it because she wanted to be with him too. There was no denying it now. But she was not the type of girl to rush into anything head first; especially not relationships, as she never really had one to speak of and the Inu was already taking a huge leap to say as much as he was. It was only fair that she respond to his admission.

"Sesshoumaru," the need for his title had been absolved by his declaration. "You do not owe me anything and definitely are not to blame for my own human weakness. I did what I did because I consider you my friend and there was no way I would let anything happen to you, if it could be helped. Your words flatter me but I think you exaggerate my importance; it is you who would be greatly missed, not only by your people but by the ones who care most for you, Rin, Ai-chan, Jaken, even InuYasha. I left you to recover because I thought you would not want my face to be the first thing you saw after such an ordeal and for a while I reconsidered returning, even if it meant upsetting you; but I was following the call of a Shikon shard and my well-being held no priority in my quest. I will be evermore grateful to you for saving me and allowing me to recoup under your protection. The thought of dying alone and in that manner leaves me feeling empty and unfulfilled. It is my duty to find the Shikon shards and defeat Naraku, before he can make the wish on the jewel. You are a daiyoukai that has over a quarter of Japan to rule, I cannot ask you to shoulder my burden anymore than you have already done."

"Onna, this Sesshoumaru does as he pleases and if I so choose to follow you to the ends of the earth, then so be it. You will just have to accept that fact and everything else I tell you because I do not lie. This Sesshoumaru would gladly welcome seeing your beautiful face every morning, if that is what you desire."

She smiled up at him and his heart swelled in his chest, his mind shut down momentarily. It was too much to comprehend yet he could not stop, even if he wanted to. Leaning downwards, he brushed his nose against hers, his hot breath caressing over her face. She turned beet-red and her lips parted with a sigh. Seizing the opportunity that had opened up to him, he kissed her – first slowly and tenderly, but the taste of her and the overwhelming scent of jasmine and spiced vanilla overcame him and the kiss morphed into a lustful desire to claim her. It stopped only when she pulled away so she could breathe again.

Neither commented on the kiss, words were no longer necessary. They stayed like that until she fell asleep and he brought her in and placed her back under the covers. After giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead, he looked around the room. _'This is hence forth her room, no matter what the fates decide, she will always be this Sesshoumaru's love. I will let her dictate how this relationship develops and if it was meant to be then we will move forward.'_

A new day was dawning, while he shook his head in amusement, at how the little ningen miko had upturned his entire world. No longer was he alone, he had been gifted a new lease on life, a family and an onna to share it all with.

She had shown him how one cannot judge a man's, or in this case, a woman's worth by their size, stature or species. It is not the quantity of a man's physical prowess but the quality of his actions and of course, the eternal value of true friendship that leads to victory in the end of all things.

A wise lesson for all, daiyoukai and human and hanyou alike.

* * *

**Translations:**

Aniki – older brother or superior

Ojiki – uncle, when younger than parent

Chichi-ue – father

Mei - niece

**End Notes: **Hooray it's done! I can't believe it took 3 wks to write this last part. I hope everyone understands that was meant to show a lesson in change and acceptance. The romance just kind of wormed its way in. As of right now, I don't foresee a continuation in the near future. There are many other tales that need to be told. Feel free to ask any questions and all comments are welcome. Thank you for sticking with me.


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